Abuse in Care report: Salvation Army commits to 'honouring the survivors'

The Salvation Army says it is committed to "honouring the survivors" of abuse and neglect inside the organisation, in response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.

The inquiry's 3000-page final report was made public in July, uncovering extensive failures of the state and churches to protect the country's most vulnerable over many decades.

The report found abuse was rife in state and faith-based care settings and the state failed to respond to signs of systemic abuse and neglect.

Only the Salvation Army, Anglican Church and Presbyterian Support Southland met the report's recommended deadline of publishing responses to the inquiry's reports and its findings by September, two months after the final report was tabled in Parliament.

The Salvation Army said it had reviewed all 138 recommendations in the Royal Commission's report and accepted all the findings related to the charity.

NZ Salvation Army chief secretary Gerry Walker said some changes had already been implemented.

"We have reviewed our current policies and procedures pertaining to the safety of children and vulnerable people, we've strengthened those," he said.

"We are in the process of establishing a child protection unit that would work to ensure that all people in the care of the Salvation Army are not at risk."

One of the recommendations was a request for faith-based leaders to apologise for the abuse that occurred within their organisation.

Walker had made an apology on behalf of the organisation in 2021 during the inquiry,

A further apology from the organisation's world leader General Lyndon Buckingham was also in the pipeline, although there was no confirmed date.

One of the most pressing recommendations of the inquiry was implementing the new puretumu torowhānui, or holistic redress system and scheme for survivors.

Walker said the Salvation Army had about "half a dozen" existing claims and that they had settled about 260 in total.

"We had a slight increase in survivors coming forward which coincided with the tabling of the Royal Commission's Report in Parliament," he said.

"We anticipated that.

"We've been working over the last 20 years to deal with allegations as quickly as we possibly can for the sake of survivors and develop a redress that meets the needs of survivors.

"Not just monetary but ongoing support that they may require."

Walker would not comment on average redress settlement sums as "each case was unique and specific to the survivor".

He admitted some survivors had "come back subsequently" after having their claims settled.

"We do our utmost at the time to listen carefully to the survivors and develop a redress that is appropriate to them."

Walker said it was "too early" to say how big a contribution it would make to the new redress scheme.

In the report, the inquiry considered that faith-based institutions should phase out their current claims processes for abuse in care.

"The Inquiry said that any State or faith-based institution which chose to continue their own claims process should direct survivors to the puretumu torowhānui scheme and give them information about it."

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government has completed or started work on 28 of the report's 138 recommendations.

During his Crown apology to abuse survivors earlier this month, Luxon confirmed that the government would invest $32 million into the current redress system until a replacement could be found, and that it would establish a $2 million fund to support organisations working with abuse survivors.

A national remembrance day - to be held on 12 November 2025 - has also been confirmed.