The treatment of people in New Zealand’s state and faith-based care institutions has been described as a “national disgrace” after a landmark report revealed the harrowing scale of abuse 200,000 children and adults suffered at the hands of those entrusted with their safety.
New Zealand’s royal commission into the abuse is by far the largest and most complex royal commission the country has held. Out of similar inquiries around the world, it had the widest scope.
The independent investigation was put in motion in 2018 to reveal the extent and ongoing impact of abuse within the institutions designed to protect children. It primarily covered the period from 1950 to 1999, but those who had suffered abuse after 1999 also gave testimony.