Survivors of abuse in state care want to see immediate transformative action from the government to address the systemic failings of government agencies which fostered the ongoing abuse and discrimination of the most vulnerable.
The final report of a royal commission of inquiry investigating abuse in state care was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledging the survivors and their courage.
"I want to thank you all for your exceptional strength, your incredible courage and your confronting honesty. Because of you, we know the truth about the abuse and the trauma that you endured."
The inquiry clearly identified Māori made up the majority of an estimated 200,000 people abused in state care between 1950 and 1999. It said tamariki, rangatahi and pakeke Māori were often targeted because of their ethnicity.
"Māori, Pacific, deaf and disabled people disproportionately bore the brunt of a lot of what occurred, and not only did this have a devastating impact on your life, but also your families and your communities," said Luxon.
The report found the unstable and harmful environments Māori were exposed to in state care compounded the intergenerational trauma and normalised the 'revolving door experience' many Māori became accustomed too.
Gary Gerbes suffered horrific abuse in the 1950s while in state care, and shared his experience in the inquiry. He passed away in May, and was one of many who did not live to see the acknowledgement or apology.
Gary Gerbes' whānau. Photo: RNZ / Emma Andrews
To honour his memory, members of his whanau and his children attended a hikoi to Parliament wearing t-shirts honouring his memory.
His daughter Jessie James told RNZ: "For my dad, it wasn't about chasing money or payment - it was just about acknowledgement and the people responsible owning up to what they did."
She said the trauma her father endured led to him seeking a whānau connection elsewhere as one of the founding members of the Mongrel Mob.
"My dad was isolated from his whānau in the system, so people he had never met before ended up becoming his 'brothers' - those were the other young boys he was in the system with. Their experience led to my dad becoming the Mongrel Mob in Korau Beach. When you are treated like your nothing you find a connection wherever you can."
Sam Troth, who survived physical and sexual abuse while in state care, said he expected immediate action and swift implementation of the 138 recommendations offered up in the report.
"No one can claim ignorance anymore - the evidence and the answers are there. The time for talking is over, transformation has to start now."
The prime minister announced a formal apology would be issued to survivors at Parliament on 12 November, and the minister responsible Erica Stanford would establish a working group to review the recommendations in the report.
