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Abuse in care: ‘Devastating’ cost to survivors, ‘stain’ on society
Almost a third of people in state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 2019 were abused, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has found, describing it as a “disgrace” and a “stain” on the national character. The…
Sexual abuse more prevalent in faith-based care – commission
Faith-based care institutions had higher rates of sexual abuse than state care, the landmark Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has found. The inquiry found that Catholic institutions reported the highest levels of sexual abuse, alongside Dilworth School…
On an inclusive, non- discriminatory approach to holistic redress
E hara taku toa I te takitahi. Te toa takitini My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective When we gave our opening at the Faith-based Phase 1 Hearing of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission on…
Survivors’ fear: ‘We will die before we get compensation’
The Royal Commission on Abuse in Care next week delivers its much-delayed final report. But an earlier report, filed in December 2021, said abuse survivors needed an independent payment scheme urgently. So why hasn’t it happened? Mike Ledingham turned 74…
‘We made history’: Small step in healing of Marylands School abuse survivors
A Christchurch park and road have been renamed to remove the reminder of the dark past of Marylands School. From Thursday, the former Marylands Reserve and Marylands Place will be known as Validation Park and Validation Place, in honour of the survivors…
Peer Support Specialists Drive Value as Behavioral Health Providers Embrace New Workforce
Peer support services are rapidly gaining mainstream acceptance thanks to recent federal initiatives, new reimbursement opportunities and the fallout from the opioid crisis. Peers have a unique ability to drive sustained patient engagement, industry insiders said at Behavioral Health Business’…
Survivors of abuse in care celebrate ‘validating’ name change
For the men who survived “evil” sexual and physical abuse in a Catholic boys’ home in Christchurch, last week was the first time authority figures gave them a reason to smile. The reserve and street named after Marylands School is being renamed…
Mark Staufer and Neil Harding: The Lost Boys of Dilworth
Auckland’s Dilworth boarding school was set up to to provide education to boys from disadvantaged backgrounds for free. Last year an independent inquiry into sexual and physical abuse at the school uncovered a “catalogue of damage and injustice” spanning more…
Putting the boot in
OPINION: As the ink dries on the Royal Commission’s report in abuse in state care, what must it be like for survivors to witness the Government’s direction on boot camps for young offenders? ‘Boot camps’ serve only one real purpose…
‘Not justice’: Survivor’s advocate slams ‘pathetic’ settlement offer
Late last year, former Marist Brother Charles Afeaki changed his plea, mid-trial, and admitted to 13 charges of sexual abuse of two 11-year-old boys in the 1970s. Former Marist Brother Charles Afeaki will be sentenced in May for his abuse of…
Towards peer-led and person-centred care
When I first plunged back into postgraduate studies, I had no idea it would lead me here – to new perspectives that have unravelled not only my previous academic understandings, but also, understandings of myself, my identity, my intentions, and…
Marlborough sports coach faces 35 sex abuse charges as more added
A Marlborough sports coach facing a raft of charges relating to sexual offences against children has had four more charges laid against him. The new charges relate to alleged events that happened between July 2014 and August 2022. The new…


