We have heard from victims and survivors of abuse in care that the lack of adequate responses from State or faith-based institutions to their complaints of abuse has compounded their trauma.

This investigation will examine the redress processes for people who suffered abuse and neglect as children, young persons or vulnerable adults while in the care of the State and faith-based institutions.

What is redress?

Redress is a broad term. It can include:

• Financial compensation
• Physical, emotional and psychological rehabilitation through medical and psychological treatment, counselling, and other health and social services
• Accountability of those responsible for the abuse including through civil claims and criminal prosecutions
• The prevention of further abuse
• Acknowledgment of and apology for abuse that occurred. 

What are we investigating?

We are investigating the redress and rehabilitation processes for people who were abused or neglected while in State and faith-based care, including improvements to those processes.

As part of this investigation we will listen to what happened to people who sought redress for the abuse and neglect they suffered. We will examine the redress processes themselves and make findings and recommendations about changes that should be made to improve those processes. We will also make recommendations about other steps relating to redress that can and should be implemented.

The overall scope of the redress investigation can be read here.

As well as hearing from victims, survivors and other witnesses, the Inquiry will conduct research, receive submissions on issues of particular interest and importance, and hold public hearings and roundtables into significant issues and themes.

Providing information to the investigation

Many people may have important information to share that will help the Inquiry investigate the redress processes of the State and faith-based institutions. This includes victims and survivors of abuse and neglect in care who have sought or attempted to seek redress, their whānau and families, support people, staff of institutions where abuse occurred, officials, and people who worked on redress processes. 

Receiving these experiences means that we can fully understand what happened and why, and make meaningful recommendations for change to State and faith-based redress processes so that they better respond in the future to abuse suffered in care.

If you want to share your experience, including with redress processes, then please call us confidentially on 0800 222 727 or register online.

Photo credit: Kararaina Beckett