Inquiry finds 200,000 people were abused in care in New Zealand over decades in ‘national disgrace’

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s independent inquiry into decades of abuse of children and vulnerable adults released a blistering final report Wednesday finding the country’s state agencies and churches failed to prevent, stop or admit to the mistreatment of those in their care. The scale of abuse was “unimaginable” with an estimated 200,000 people abused over seven decades, many of them Māori, New Zealand’s Indigenous people, the report said. Children were removed arbitrarily and unfairly from their families, the report said, and the majority of New Zealand’s criminal gang members and prisoners are believed to have spent time in care. Tu Chapman, a survivor and advocate, told The Associated Press that immediate action was needed on redress to prove that the government takes the findings seriously: “Further delay is just impacting survivors even more who have waited 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 years.” The episode was “a nationwide intergenerational shame” that was far from over, said Chris Hipkins, leader of New Zealand’s main opposition party, Labour, which commissioned the inquiry while in power.