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photo: Royal Bank of New Zealand
A survivor of abuse in a religious institution wants a Pacific-specific avenue for redress.
finals Royal Commission Report It found that at least 200,000 people had been abused by state and religious institutions since 1950.
Pacific people are over-represented, followed by Maori, deaf people, people with disabilities and people with mental health problems.
Frances Tagaloa, co-chair of the Survivors’ Experience Commission, said she was impressed by the cross-party support for the final report and now she was eager to take action.
“I think really the first and most important step at this point is to have an independent redress system, which the committee recommended a few years ago, but the government has been slow to act,” she said.
Tagaloa suffered sexual and mental abuse at the hands of representatives of the Catholic Church between the ages of five and seven.
The perpetrator, Marist Brother Bede Fitton, also known as Francis Fitton, was a teacher at Marist Brothers Secondary School in Ponsonby. He has since died.
Tagaloa said the independence of the relief system was very important.
“It was surprising to me, but survivors have to go back to the institution where they were abused to get redress or support.”
The report found Pacific Islander children, young people and adults in care experienced racial abuse and cultural neglect.
Many Pacific survivors have lost touch with their native culture and language, resulting in the transmission of trauma from one generation to the next.
Pacific Islander and Maori survivors also experienced higher levels of physical abuse than other ethnic groups.
Tagaloa hopes to provide a concrete path to redress for Pacific peoples.
“Dealing with Pacific Islander culture is unique and sometimes there are language barriers but there are also cultural barriers to overcome so there has to be a specific Pacific Islander cultural pathway.”
Commissioner Dr Anaru Erueti said Māori and Pacific people needed to be trusted by the state to look after and protect themselves.
“We have heard a clear message from these communities that for too long they have not been trusted to take care of their families and they want appropriate support from the state to meet the needs of their communities.”
Commissioner Paul Gibson said the abuse was horrific, widespread and happened in all institutions.
He said this was not just individual action, but systemic action.
“This phenomenon continues today and we must stop it.”
Tagaloa hopes the public will pay attention to the report.
“This report shows that if children are taken away from their families, they are more likely to join gangs and end up in prison.
“We don’t want this to happen to our tribes, our peoples or our vulnerable populations, we don’t want this to happen.
“As a community, we don’t want to create a pathway to prison for our children.”
The survey produced 138 recommendations.
Tagaloa said the public needs to support the implementation of the recommendations.
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