This article was first published in eMessenger in April 2019.
This inquiry was set up in response to public demand for a broad based inquiry into abuse and neglect in State care and in the care of faith-based institutions.
The Royal Commission will investigate the abuse and neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults who were in the care of State and faith-based institutions in New Zealand between 1950 and 1999. They also have a discretion to consider abuse and neglect that happened before 1950, or after 1999, including people who are still in care now.
The Royal Commission will look at why people were taken into care – including if there was bias, discrimination or bad decision-making by agencies; what abuse and neglect occurred; why it happened; the effects of abuse on the person and their family/whānau including the long-term effects and effects on future generations; what changes were made over the years in response to abuse and neglect; how well the systems are working now – including current redress and rehabilitation processes; and how things can be done better in the future.
The Royal Commission will hold public hearings, private meetings, receive submissions in writing and obtain information from documents and records.
The Royal Commission is independent of the Government and faith-based institutions and therefore able to reach their own conclusions and make recommendations.
Two reports will be prepared, one before the end of 2020 which cover what has been learned by then, the main themes, and how many people have come forward so an estimate of resources needed to complete the work can be made. Recommendations for change may be made at this stage however a final report will be made before January 2023. The report will cover the nature of the abuse, the extent of it, what impact it had on people, what has improved, and what may still need to be done. Recommendations to the Government and faith-based institutions will be made regarding changes to laws, rules, and ways of working; what needs to happen to prevent and respond to abuse and neglect in the future; what needs to be done to support people who have been abused or neglected (redress, rehabilitation and compensation processes); how to address the harm caused; and apologies.
Further information about the Royal Commission can be found here.
The Methodist Church of New Zealand is formalising a process for people making claims of historic abuse. The Church is committed to doing all it can to provide consistent and compassionate redress and resolution for abuse that occurred to children while they were in Methodist care. The Church takes reports of all forms of abuse seriously and treats people making claims with respect and sensitivity. The Church will, with compassion and humility, seek to make amends for what happened in the past and identify how it can best offer support in the future.
There were Methodist children homes in Auckland, Masterton, Christchurch and Dunedin, all of which have now closed. The Methodist Church Archives have undertaken the mammoth task of indexing the records for these homes so they are best placed to provide information to people who seek a copy of their records for the time they were in care.
The church is committed to the prevention of abuse and to the wellbeing of its members, children, young people and vulnerable adult and their families. Formalising the process for claims is one way that the church continues to take responsibility for events of the past and learns valuable lessons and care for people.
Hearing about abuse and taking responsibility for it may be difficult however it is an essential part of preventing abuse and healing our communities.
The Methodist Church has also spoken out against family violence when in 2012, it signed the national statement “Faith Communities Against Family Violence” which reads:
Faith Communities Against Family Violence
A National Statement
Family violence in our communities is one of the most significant moral, spiritual and social challenges that we currently face as a country. As communities of faith in Aotearoa New Zealand, we believe it is our responsibility to take a stand and address this challenge.
Family violence is completely unacceptable and is never justified. Often the most vulnerable victims of violence are children, and it is here that we are taking a stand. Our children deserve the best we can offer them.
Accordingly, we have come together, as communities of faith, to declare the following:
We recognise that children are our future and as such are a significant and precious gift to society today.
We understand that our beliefs, values and traditions will live on through our children.
We accept that the wellbeing of children is our responsibility.
We acknowledge that children deserve our compassion, kindness, love and care.
We believe we can make a difference in the lives of children and families.
In light of these declarations we commit our communities to:
Accept our responsibility to stand up for our children, women and families. Refuse to tolerate violence within our families or communities or turn a blind eye to it.
Strive to provide places of safety and nurture for the children and families of our community.
Encourage our communities to report family violence, hold perpetrators accountable and provide support for victims.
Ensure that our staff are trained to respond safely to family violence and are well supported with appropriate policies and resources.
Partner with community organisations to ensure that families experiencing violence are referred appropriately and we will advocate with government for policies and resources to address family violence.
Our practices will change to reflect our greater responsibility to keep each other safe in our communities. We already have Police screening for people working in our churches and with our children. We will be looking at our practices to see that we are doing all we can to ensure that the most vulnerable in our communities are kept safe in our care.
While children homes are no longer provided by Missions, many are still working in this space. Many of our missions provide social work, parenting education, parenting assessments, foster care or intensive in-home parenting support. These services provide support to parents to put household routines in place that work for the family, helps build parenting skills and confidence and connects them with the community as well as advocating for them with other agencies including Oranga Tamariki and schools.
Lifewise, our mission in Auckland, provides foster care for children who are unable to live with their family. It may be that their homes are no longer a safe place or suitable environment for the children to live in, due to neglect, trauma or abuse. Where children are at risk at home, Oranga Tamariki will place them with caregivers who take care of children for as long as required. Lifewise describes their caregivers as extraordinary people – compassionate, family focused and big-hearted.
The Lifewise team works hard to maintain and rebuild families and whanau. They strive to keep sibling groups together while in foster care. Lifewise is one of Auckland’s largest and most experienced foster care providers. If you would like to register your interest in becoming a caregiver, call Lifewise on 09 818 6834 or email familyservices@lifewise.org.nz
The numbers of children in care are increasing – in the year ending June 2017 there were 5,708 children in care which has increased from 4,960 in 2013. Most children are placed with family or whānau, however many are placed with non-family/whānau caregivers.
The Office of the Children’s Commissioner and Oranga Tamariki have recently published a report called “What makes a good life” which was informed by than 6,000 children and it identifies what wellbeing means for children growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand. The report states that wellbeing is about having a good life which is one where children feel accepted, valued and respected, be happy, have the support of family and friends, have their basic needs met, enjoy good physical and mental health, have a good education and feel safe. Children and young people want more than just a minimum standard of living. They expressed the need for a home, an education, and a safe community and to strive for a little more – choice and opportunities. Young people want to be able to celebrate their unique identity and called for a genuine acceptance of diversity including cultural, ethnic, sexual, gender and disability. You can read the full report here.
Carol Barron, Methodist Alliance National Coordinator, Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
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