What the Royal Commission is about He aha te Kōmihana a te Karauna
We are looking into what happened to children, young people and vulnerable adults in State and faith-based care in Aotearoa New Zealand between the years 1950-99. We may also listen to survivor experiences before and after these dates.
Our Values
The Royal Commission is about people, in particular children, young people and vulnerable adults, and their experiences of historical abuse and neglect in State care and in the care of faith-based institutions. The values of the Royal Commission are:
- Fairness and balance
- Independence and determination
- Transparency
- Aroha.
Our Vision
Commissioners have also established a vision for the inquiry. They want to ensure that both the outcome of the inquiry and the process for engaging communities and survivors will transform the way care is provided to the most vulnerable people in our communities. The Royal Commission’s vision is:
“Transforming the way we, as a nation, care for children, young people and vulnerable adults in our communities.”
Why have an Inquiry?
Many people and organisations - survivors, community leaders, iwi and Māori, the Human Rights Commission and the United Nations - have, for many years, called for an inquiry into abuse in care in New Zealand.
What guides us?
We are guided by our Terms of Reference. These were finalised after hearing from over more than 400 groups and individuals about what the Inquiry should focus on.
What is being investigated?
- Why people were taken into care
- What abuse happened and why
- The effects of the abuse
We are specifically focusing on Māori, Pacific People and people with disabilities because of the disproportionate amount of people from these communities in care.
What are we doing?
Commissioners are listening to survivors share their experiences in private sessions.
We are conducting inquiries into different themes and care settings, holding public hearings and receiving written statements on the experiences of survivors and other witnesses.
We are conducting research and engaging with communities.
We will make recommendations to the Governor-General in 2023 on how New Zealand can better care for children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Royal Commission Information booklet - Easy Read
The Royal Commission has an information booklet in Easy Read format. Easy Read information is produced so that it is clear and easy to understand using short sentences supported by pictures. It is often created for people with a learning disability, and it's also helpful for people who use English as a second language, are Deaf or hard of hearing, or people who have low literacy skills.