Government, faith-based groups miss Abuse In Care response guideline
by Tim Brown · RNZ- Government and most faith-based institutions have missed a deadline to respond to the Abuse in Care report
- Only the Salvation Army, Anglican Church and Presbyterian Support Southland met the recommended deadline
- The government says it will provide an update at November's public apology
The government and a vast majority of faith-based institutions have missed a key deadline recommended by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
The commissioner's first time-sensitive recommendation was that the government and faith-based institutions should publish responses to the inquiry's reports and its findings within two months of the final report being tabled in Parliament in July.
That deadline passed yesterday with the government and 11 of the 14 faith-based organisations failing to meet it.
- Government: Yet to respond
- Catholic Church: Response imminent
- Anglican Church: Response here
- Methodist Church: Yet to respond
- Presbyterian Church: Yet to respond
- Presbyterian Support Northern: Yet to respond
- Presbyterian Support East Coast: Yet to respond
- Presbyterian Support Central: Yet to respond
- Presbyterian Support Upper South Island: Yet to respond
- Presbyterian Support South Canterbury: Yet to respond
- Presbyterian Support Otago: Yet to respond
- Presbyterian Support Southland: Response here
- Salvation Army: Response here
- Gloriavale: Will not respond
- Jehovah's Witnesses: Yet to respond
Only the Salvation Army and Anglican Church responded directly to the report's findings, while Presbyterian Support Southland acknowledged its role in the abuse and neglect of those in its care.
Other organisations and the government told RNZ they would respond in due course.
However, Gloriavale said it would not respond.
"Bottom line is we didn't make a response," Peter Righteous, a senior in the West Coast community, told RNZ.
"It's our business as to why we respond to things or why we don't. We are still going over the thing and thinking about all the ramifications and all that. But we decided not to respond to it and that's that."
A spokesperson for the minister leading the government's response, Erica Stanford, said the government would provide more detail of its response at the public apology in November.
"The government has not yet made a formal response to the Royal Commission's report. However, the government has committed to carefully consider the Royal Commission's full set of recommendations and updates will be provided as decisions are made.
"The Royal Commission took almost six years to deliver its final report. As the Prime Minister and Minister Stanford stated in July, it needs to be considered with respect and care. Given the report took six years to deliver, and contains over 500 findings, it was identified early in the process it was not going to be possible for the government to be able to respond to the findings in two months."
The public apology and the government's handling of it had caused consternation for survivors.
A spokesperson for the Crown Response Unit said there were "significant expectations" faith-based organisations would carefully consider and respond to the Royal Commission's recommendations.
"The government has engaged with the faith-based institutions that are identified in Whanaketia's recommendation on their proposed responses and where the Crown may need to be involved to support change," the unit said.
"Not all faith-based organisations have finalised their responses to the Royal Commission's recommendations. We are aware that some will publish their responses to through their own communication channels once they are decided."
Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa commissioner Mark Campbell said the Salvation Army affirmed all findings and recommendations of the inquiry and supported the establishment of survivor-centric, trauma-informed and open redress system for survivors of abuse.
"We are committed to doing everything possible to ensure abuse and/or neglect never again occurs in a centre or service connected to The Salvation Army," Campbell said.
Anglican Church in Aotearoa archbishops Don Tamihere, Justin Duckworth and Sione Ulu'ilakepa said they acknowledged all findings of fault against the church.
"We acknowledge and take full responsibility on behalf of the Church for these failures, failures that those who have been in our care had a right to expect never to have occurred," the church's leaders said.
"We are working hard to pursue transformation of our church culture and to adopt new practices and policies which the survivors of abuse have every right to expect of us so that these findings are wholeheartedly and fully addressed."
Presbyterian Support Southland chief executive Matt Russell said the organisation unreservedly acknowledged and apologised for the abuse and neglect to those in its care.
The six other Presbyterian Support organisations were working on responses to the report's recommendations and findings.
The Presbyterian Church said it was working on its response to the inquiry's findings.
The Catholic Church said its response was imminent and would be public by the end of the week.