Introduction
The Government has released its response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions (the Royal Commission).
This summary is about the Government’s response.
The Royal Commission was established by Government in 2018 to investigate what happened to children, young people and adults in care from 1950-1999. The Royal Commission also heard about abuse in care settings up to the present day.
The Royal Commission used information from public hearings, interviews with survivors, advocates, organisations and other evidence, to make more than 200 recommendations in two reports:
- 2021 redress report, He Purapura Ora, He Māra Tipu from Redress to Puretumu Torowhānui (He Purapura Ora)
- 2024 final report Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light Whakairihia ki te tihi o Maungārongo (Whanaketia).
He Purapura Ora made 95 recommendations for changes to compensation and litigation frameworks, apologies, redress systems and processes for survivors of abuse and neglect in care.
Whanaketia contains 138 recommendations to make the care system safer and empower and invest in whānau and communities.
Of these 233 recommendations in total:
- 207 are addressed to the Crown
- 26 recommendations are for faith-based institutions and other named organisations in the care and justice systems.
About the Crown response
As of May 2025, out of the 207 recommendations for the Crown the government has:
- Accepted 19 recommendations
- Accepted the intent of 38 recommendations
- Partially accepted 28 recommendations
- Will need to further consider 99 recommendations
- Declined 23 recommendations.
The definitions of the response are:
Accept: The recommendation is accepted. It will be implemented as it was set out by the Royal Commission.
Accept intent: The intent of the recommendation is accepted. It will be implemented in a different way than set out by the Royal Commission.
Partially accept: One or more sub-parts of the recommendation are accepted as set out by the Royal Commission. The recommendation is not accepted in full.
Further consideration required: The recommendation requires further consideration before a response can be determined.
Decline: Following analysis and a decision-making process, the Crown declines to implement this recommendation.
Since the release of Whanaketia in June 2024, several actions have been taken. These include:
- public apologies made by the Prime Minister and seven public sector leaders from Oranga Tamariki, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Development, Crown Law, Police, and Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission on 12 November 2024
- acknowledgement that torture occurred at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital Child and Adolescent Unit (Lake Alice)
- an end-of-life payment of $20,000 for Lake Alice survivors along with work to address inequities in the reimbursement of legal fees
- an investment of $32 million to increase capacity in current redress and claims systems from approximately 1350 to 1550 claims per year
- a $2 million dual purpose survivor-focussed fund for local authorities, non-governmental organisations and community groups
- progression of the Responding to Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Bill which supports the Crown response to a range of recommendations
- commitment to a national day of reflection on the one-year anniversary of the public apology, 12 November 2025
- progressing of the Responding to Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Bill
- Budget 2025 investment of $533 million over four years, for redress improvements
- Budget 2025 investment of $188.176 million over four years to ensure the safety of children, young people and vulnerable people.
Because there are so many recommendations, and some of them are complex, the Crown response will take many years. The Royal Commission thought the response could take 15 years. Updates to the Crown response will be published annually.
Relevant agencies and portfolio Ministers will remain responsible for delivery of the work and will seek decisions from Cabinet where required.
The response plan
You can find digital and print copies of the response plan here: https://www.abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz/news/newsletter/crown-response-to-the-royal-commission-of-inquiry/
You can find proactively released Cabinet papers about the response here: https://www.abuseinquiryresponse.govt.nz/information-releases/cabinet-papers-and-minutes/proactive-release-of-decisions-about-the-governments-response
