News & Events

Less than a third of the government’s $774 million abuse in care redress and reform package will end up in the pockets of survivors. Figures obtained by RNZ revealed only $205m was earmarked for paying new claims with $52m to go towards topping up previously closed claims. In defence of the figures, Erica Stanford, the…

The Government plans to pass a law making it harder for state abuse survivors with a history of violent or serious offending to access redress – something a lawyer and survivor advocate describes as “unjust, discriminatory, and contrary to the principles of trauma-informed, survivor-focused redress”. This is despite overwhelming evidence, including in the reports from…

A Male Survivor’s Feedback on a Safe Space to Kōrero and Share His Struggles The Tāne Chat Room Caravan stands as a beacon of hope and support, offering a sanctuary where individuals like myself can korero speak openly and authentically about my struggles. This unique initiative is more than just a meeting place; it is…

A Lake Alice survivor has asked the High Court to review Cabinet’s decision on redress and formally find it breaches his international and domestic human rights. Flaxmere man Malcolm Richards was drugged, raped, beaten and shocked at the Manawatū psychiatric facility in the 1970s. He declined a $150,000 redress payment last year, opting instead to…

The government faces legal action over compensation for torturing children at Lake Alice. But Crown Law, running legal interference for decades, is again pulling strings. Part 1 of a special 3-part series for Newsroom. Overview: The state has admitted torture and abuse of children in state care. It apologised in 2024. But it is legally…

A significant number of abuse victims could be eligible for ACC compensation following a landmark court ruling that could cost it billions of dollars. But ACC will not immediately be contacting everyone it believes might be eligible, due to fears of retraumatising them and its case managers being overwhelmed. Advocates and a survivor fear the…

The latest crime statistics from Germany show that nearly 21% of police reports of intimate partner violence (IPV) were made by men. There were a total of 34,899 male victims, which means that almost 100 men are victims of IPV every day in Germany. The results of an anonymous mixed-method online survey of 141 German…

For me the most powerful words were virtually unintelligible. Gary Williams is severely disabled and in a wheelchair, but that did not limit the power of his words, which were flashed up on a screen behind him. He was the first survivor to speak at the event. He spoke directly to the Government and you…

The lack of a new redress system for survivors proves the royal commission of inquiry’s recommendations were pointless, argues Steve Goodlass. It is a cruel irony that on the very day a US cardinal – implicated in covering up abuse – was elevated to Pope, the New Zealand state chose to entrench the status quo…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is being accused of breaking a promise to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care. The accusation came on a day which Keith Wiffen said should have been one of celebration. Instead, for many survivors, it was another day of sorrow. Wiffen, who was abused as a child at the…

Calls for a new, survivor-driven redress system have been unanswered by Government, which chose instead to invest more in the existing state-led operation. Seven hundred and seventy-four million dollars will be put towards redress for abuse in state care, but the redress system that survivors called for won’t materialise. Friday’s announcement by the Government’s lead…

More children in care are reporting they’ve been physically, emotionally or sexually harmed, while government agencies play hot potato with vulnerable kids. Just months after the Prime Minister apologised to those who were abused in state and faith-based care, independent monitoring shows the same problems persist in today’s care system. A new report from the Independent…