66. Māori survivor Te Aroha Knox (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāpuhi), who was placed in social welfare care aged 10 years old, said:

“In some ways it has been beautiful to tell my story to the Commission. I always knew it was going to be, because it’s a part of the journey that I am on. It’s all part of my recovery ... I hope that the Commission gets it right. We have been turning a blind eye to the underlying issue and we have never thoroughly looked at the abuse and trauma in our country. The system has failed, and it is going to keep failing until we do something about it.”[75]

67. In total, 3,827 people registered an interest with the Inquiry. Overall, 2,797 people shared their experiences and insights. These included:

• 2,329 survivors
• 160 witnesses and family members of survivors
• 158 current or former staff members
• 150 advocates, experts, leaders and others.

68. The demographic data in this chapter is based on the 2,329 registered survivors who shared their experiences. These survivors were a self-selecting subset of everyone who was in State and faith-based care, and do not represent all those who were abused or neglected in care. Although it was not possible to reference or quote every survivor who came forward to the Inquiry in this report, the experiences of every survivor were heard and informed the Inquiry’s observations, findings and recommendations.

69. The Inquiry contracted data analytics specialists DOT loves Data to produce quantitative analysis of the 2,329 survivors’ accounts.[76] Data will not always add up to 100 percent. In some cases, many characteristics as individual survivors chose to identify were counted, for example, when they had more than one ethnicity.

I rāngona e te Kōmihana a te Karauna ngā kōrero a ngā purapura ora pakeketanga rerekē, ia rerekē hoki
The Inquiry heard from survivors of different ages and genders

70. Survivors from a wide range of ages shared their experiences with the Inquiry. An anonymous survivor wrote in a Message to Aotearoa postcard:

“I’m 66 years old, [it has] taken 50 years to tell my story.”[77]

71. At the time of registering their interest with the Inquiry, the youngest survivor was 14 years old and the oldest was 87 years old.

72. The age of survivors played a role in the kind of abuse and neglect they were subjected to. Survivors aged 10–14 at the time they were in care, for example, reported the highest levels of sexual and physical abuse by their caregivers.

Age of survivors when they registered with the Inquiry

Age range	Registered survivors
0 to 19 years old	12 survivors
20 to 29 years old	131 survivors
30 to 39 years old	254 survivors
40 to 49 years old	456 survivors
50 to 59 years old	770 survivors
60 to 69 years old	507 survivors
70 to 79 years old	143 survivors
80 to 89 years old	25 survivors
Not disclosed	31 survivors

73. There were changes to the Terms of Reference made in 2021[78] that removed the Inquiry’s mandate to examine current frameworks to prevent and respond to abuse and neglect in care. Although the Terms of Reference changes did not prevent the Inquiry from hearing from people in State or faith-based care after 1999, they may have discouraged survivors who were in care after 1999, or currently in care, from coming forward. This could have contributed to the small numbers of registered survivors under 30 years old.

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora, ngā ira katoa
Survivors of all genders shared their experiences

74. Male, female and gender diverse survivors came forward to the Inquiry. Most survivors (59 percent) who registered with the Inquiry were male.

75. Gender played a role in the kind of abuse that survivors were subjected to, for more information see Part 4.

Gender of registered survivors

Gender	Number of registered survivors
Female	932 survivors (40 percent)
Male	1,378 survivors (59 percent)
Gender diverse, non-binary or other	10 survivors (0.5 percent)
Prefer not to say / no data	9 survivors (0.5 percent)

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora, kōtiro mai, wāhine mai, irahuhua mai
Girls, women and gender diverse survivors shared their experiences

76. Pākehā survivor Kay Freeman, who was sent to a Salvation Army unmarried mothers’ home when she was 20 years old, told the Inquiry:

“Counsellors think our babies were ‘given’ by us for adoption. This is wrong. They were taken away because we were destitute and because we were made to feel like dirty, immoral girls. Compulsory adoption was the government and churches [sic] policy.”[79]

77. Female survivors were subjected to gendered abuse including body shaming and shaming about sexual activity, particularly in faith-based settings. Most girls were inappropriately sexualised, humiliated and verbally abused regarding sexual activity. Tamawāhine experienced this disproportionately. Many girls were subjected to unnecessary vaginal examinations. Many women and girls were denied access to menstrual hygiene products and information about menstruation.

78. People with diverse gender identities experienced discrimination and prejudice in care. Gender identity discrimination has been influenced by religion and colonisation, which affected traditional understandings of gender diversity in Māori and Pacific Peoples’ cultures.

79. For more information on the abuse experienced by survivors in unmarried mothers’ homes, and the extent of gender-based abuse of women and girls, see Part 4. More information on the impact of gender identity discrimination can be found in Part 5.

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora o ngā iwi rerekē
Survivors of different ethnicities shared their experiences

80. All survivors were asked to identify their ethnicity. Of the 2,329 survivors who came forward, 2,233 (96 percent) provided their ethnicity. Most survivors (64 percent) who shared their experiences with the Inquiry identified as Pākehā / European.

Ethnicity of registered survivors

Ethnicity	Registered survivors
Pākehā / European	1,483 survivors (64 percent)
Māori	1,018 survivors (44 percent)
Pacific Peoples	113 survivors (5 percent)
Middle Eastern, Latin American or African (MELAA)	53 survivors (2 percent)
Another ethnicity	58 survivors (2 percent)
Asian	7 survivors (0.3 percent)
Another ethnicity	53 survivors (2 percent)
No data / data unknown	90 survivors (4 percent)
Prefer not to say	6 survivors (0.3 percent)

81. The Inquiry acknowledges that it did not engage with some communities in large numbers, especially migrants, Pacific women, and South Asian populations. Data limitations in historical care records meant the Inquiry found it difficult to establish with accuracy what percentage of the care population would have been from these communities, and whether the low numbers the Inquiry did reach were representative of the overall care experience or not.

I tū ake ngā purapura ora mai i tāwāhi, i ngā hau e whā o te motu
Survivors came forward from overseas and across the motu

82. Of the 2,329 survivors who shared their experiences with the Inquiry, 2,161 (93 percent) live in Aotearoa New Zealand. Most survivors who live overseas are in Australia (127 survivors / 5 percent). The remainder live in other countries (21 survivors / 0.9 percent) or their location information was not provided (20 survivors / 0.9 percent).

Where registered survivors currently live in Aotearoa New Zealand

Location	Registered survivors
Te Tai Tokerau Northland	101 survivors (5 percent)
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland	430 survivors (20 percent)
Waikato	211 survivors (10 percent)
Te Moana-a-Toi Bay of Plenty	87 survivors (4 percent)
Te Tai Rāwhiti Gisborne	19 survivors (1 percent)
Te Matau-a-Māui Hawkes Bay	85 survivors (4 percent)
Taranaki	33 survivors (2 percent)
Manawatū / Whanganui	155 survivors (7 percent)
Wairarapa	16 survivors (1 percent)
Te Whanganui-ā-Tara Wellington	231 survivors (11 percent)
Te Tai-o-Aorere Tasman	10 survivors (0.5 percent)
Whakatū Nelson	34 survivors (2 percent)
Te Tau Ihu-o-te Waka Marlborough	23 survivors (1 percent)
Te Tai o Poutini West Coast	31 survivors (1 percent)
Waitaha Canterbury	389 survivors (18 percent)
Ōtākou Otago	122 survivors (6 percent)
Murihiku Southland	40 survivors (2 percent)
No regional / location information	144 survivors (7 percent)

Ngā purapura ora i ngā momo taurimatanga rerekē
Survivors in different types of care

83. Survivors told us they went into State care and / or faith-based care. The Inquiry acknowledges that survivors could not always identify the institution or location associated with the abuse or neglect they suffered.

Number of registered survivors who were in State and / or faith-based care

Care setting	Registered survivors
State care only	1,346 survivors
Faith-based care only	466 survivors
Both State and faith-based care	375 survivors
In care, specific type not identified	142 survivors

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora mō ngā taurimatanga ā-Kāwanatanga
Survivors who were in State-based care shared their experiences

84. Pākehā survivor Darren Smith, who was placed in social welfare care when he was 14 years old, said:

“As a result of the abuse I suffered, I lost trust in State institutions and felt that I was only good for being sexually abused”.[80]

85. More survivors came forward who had experienced abuse and neglect in boys’ or girls’ homes, and in foster care, than in any other State-based care settings. Some survivors were in more than one setting during their time in care.

86. More information on the pathways that led survivors into State-based care (in social welfare, health and disability, education and other settings) can be found in Part 3. For more information on the abuse and neglect experienced by survivors of State-based care, see Part 4. More information on the impact of abuse and neglect in State-based care can be found in Part 5.

Number of registered survivors in State care settings

Where survivors were in State care	Number of Survivors*
A. Social welfare settings	1,338 (total)
· Boys’ or girls’ homes	766
· Foster care, foster homes, family homes	715
· Care provider (e.g. Whakapakari, Moerangi Treks)	218
· Social welfare (e.g. Department of Social Welfare)	217
· Borstal	159
B. Health and disability settings	437 (total)
· Psychiatric institution	321
· Forensic psychiatric care	8
· Special school for children with learning disability or physical disability[81]	105
· Disability care setting (e.g. psychopaedic institution)	29
· Care in the community (e.g. group homes, sheltered employment, supported living)	20
C. Education settings	153 (total)
D. Transitional and law enforcement settings	138 (total)
E. Health camps	51 (total)
F. Deaf schools	16 (total)
G. Blind schools	2 (total)
H. Other settings	301 (total)
· Other	171
· Hospital (e.g. psychiatric care)	141
· Other government department (not social welfare)	5

* Settings in this table are not identical to the Terms of Reference. For example, Deaf schools and Blind schools are not explicitly listed in the Terms of Reference. Special schools for children with learning or physical disabilities are listed under education settings in the Terms of Reference, and health camps are listed under health and disability settings in the Terms of Reference. Number of survivors in each setting may not add to the total because some survivors were placed in more than one setting during their time in care.

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora mō ngā taurimatanga ā-whakapono
Survivors who were in faith-based care shared their experiences

87. Dr Christopher Longhurst, a Pākehā survivor who was 11 years old when he started at a private intermediate school (Catholic), said:

“I do not identify as a victim. I am a person who has survived clerical child sexual abuse and other kinds of abuse at the hands of Catholic priests and members of the clergy, including bishops, and I am proud to have survived that abuse.”[82]

88. The Inquiry heard from 841 survivors who shared their experiences of faith-based care. This includes survivors who told the Inquiry they were only in faith-based care and those who said they were in both State and faith-based care.

89. The Inquiry heard from many survivors who experienced abuse that had religious or spiritual overtones. These religious aspects were unique to faith-based institutions. Many survivors described being shamed through religious language that described them as particularly sinful. Many staff and caregivers in faith-based settings saw children and young people as morally corrupt and needing to be spiritually saved. There were also instances of Māori and Pacific survivors, disabled survivors, women and girls, and Takatāpui survivors being singled out as especially evil. These views were used to justify physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

90. Many survivors experienced abuse by clergy and religious leaders in the context of pastoral care relationships, where survivors were particularly vulnerable because they were seeking direction or spiritual guidance.

91. More information on the pathways that led survivors into the care of faith-based institutions can be found in Part 3. For further information on the abuse experienced by survivors in faith-based care, see Part 4. Additional information on the impact of abuse in faith-based care can be found in Part 5.

Key facts about registered survivors in faith-based care

Number	841 survivors
Gender
· Female	318 survivors (38 percent)
· Male	517 survivors (61 percent)
· Gender diverse, non-binary, other, prefer not to say, no data	6 survivors (1 percent)
Part of Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ community	83 survivors (10 percent)
Average age when entered care	9 years old

92. The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference did not list specific faith-based institutions or care settings. The Inquiry’s approach was to investigate faith-based institutions based on criteria (publicly available on the Inquiry’s website), including whether the investigation would:

• address the matters in the Terms of Reference
• respond to information from private sessions, investigations, written accounts and research
• respond to areas of particular concern among survivors, advocates and / or the public
• identify areas most likely to lead to meaningful recommendations.

93. The State sometimes placed children into facilities run by faith-based institutions, such as orphanages or residential facilities (this is an example of indirect care). Data limitations meant it was not possible to identify the number of registered survivors in faith-based care settings who were placed there by the State.

94. The following two tables show the number of people who came forward to report abuse and neglect in the context of different faith-based institutions.

Number of registered survivors in faith-based care settings[83]

Faith-based care setting	Number of survivors*
Faith-based orphanages, children’s residences and training centres	278
Faith-based schools	249
Churches	187
Third party care providers	125
Gloriavale	41
Foster care and family homes	21
Unmarried mothers’ homes	21

* Some survivors were placed in more than one setting during their time in care.

Faith-based institutions as reported by people who came forward

Faith-based institution*	Number
Catholic	310
Anglican (Church of England)	153
The Salvation Army	93
Presbyterian	60
Gloriavale	41
Methodist	41
Plymouth Brethren Christian Church	35
Jehovah’s Witnesses	24
Baptist	16
Christadelphian	8
Protestant	< 6
Seventh Day Adventist	< 6
Assembly of God	< 6
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints	< 6
Evangelical	< 6
Other faith-based institution	154

* Descriptions of faith-based institutions as reported.

I nui kē atu te pāngia o ētahi rōpū purapura ora
Some groups of survivors were disproportionately affected

95. Some survivor groups were disproportionately represented in care, and disproportionately experienced abuse and neglect in care due to a range of factors.

96. In the Inquiry’s State Institutional Response Hearing, the Crown acknowledged in its closing statement that “institutional or structural racism and ableism in legislation, policy and systems have contributed to the disproportionate representation, and discriminatory treatment, of Māori, Pacific Peoples, disabled people, and Deaf people in care”.[84]

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora Māori
Māori survivors shared their experiences

97. Māori survivor Pamella Thompson (Ngāpuhi), who was taken into social welfare care when she was 7 years old, told the Inquiry:

“I learnt so much from that family home … about manners, about how to set the table the Pākehā way. They used to say to me, ‘You’ll never get out of here’, ‘You’re just a dumb Māori, that’s all’.” [85]

98. The Terms of Reference directed the Inquiry to give appropriate recognition to Māori interests, acknowledging the disproportionate representation of Māori in care. The Terms of Reference directed the Inquiry to be underpinned by te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles and to partner with Māori throughout the Inquiry process.[86] Māori survivors made up almost half (44 percent) of the 2,329 survivors who registered with the Inquiry. During the Inquiry period, Māori were disproportionately represented in State and faith-based care, particularly in social welfare and psychiatric settings.

99. Māori told the Inquiry how they were physically separated from their whānau, friends, community and support network, as well as their language. Many spoke of losing their whakapapa after being placed into care settings that did not support their connection to their cultural identity. Tamariki, rangatahi and pakeke Māori were often subject to racial and cultural abuse and neglect, targeted because of their ethnicity. Māori survivors of faith-based care said that, as well as racism and cultural neglect, they experienced spiritual abuse and neglect as the care setting had no regard for their culture.

100. More information on the pathways and circumstances that led Māori survivors into care can be found in Part 3. For further information on the abuse and neglect experienced by Māori survivors, see Part 4. Additional information on the impact of abuse and neglect on Māori survivors can be found in Part 5.

Key facts about registered Māori survivors

Number	1,018 survivors
Gender
· Female	388 survivors (38 percent)
· Male	624 survivors (61 percent)
· Gender diverse, non-binary, other, prefer not to say, no data	6 survivors (1 percent)
Part of Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ community	60 survivors (6 percent)
Average age when entered care	8 years old
Type of care
· State care	859 survivors (84 percent)
· Faith-based care	240 survivors (24 percent)
· State and faith-based care	145 survivors (14 percent)
· Unknown	64 survivors (6 percent)

* Survivors who experienced both State and faith-based care are counted in all three groups (State care, faith-based care, and State and faith-based care).

101. The Inquiry acknowledges that not all Māori survivors disclose their whakapapa, see Part 5 for details. The data reported in the table below reflects those survivors who have identified their iwi. The iwi identified by survivors were grouped according to Statistics New Zealand’s iwi and iwi-related groups statistical classification V2.1.0.

Iwi affiliation of survivors

Iwi listed by iwi groups (identified by survivors)	Number of survivors
Te Tai Tokerau / Tāmaki Makaurau (Northland / Auckland) region iwi Ngāi Takoto, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāti Kura, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Wai, Te Aupōuri, Te Rarawa, Te Roroa	190 survivors
Waikato / Te Rohe Pōtae (Waikato / King Country) region iwi Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Korokī Kahukura, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Te Wehi, Ngāti Raukawa, Waikato-Tainui	70 survivors
Hauraki (Coromandel) region iwi Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Maru (Hauraki), Ngāti Paoa, Ngāti Porou ki Harataunga ki Mataora, Ngāti Pūkenga ki Waiau, Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngaati Whanaunga	19 survivors
Tauranga Moana / Mātaatua (Bay of Plenty) region iwi Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Manawa, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Tūwharetoa (Bay of Plenty), Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, Tūhoe, Whakatōhea	114 survivors
Te Arawa / Taupō (Rotorua / Taupō) region iwi Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Tahu–Ngāti Whaoa, Ngāti Whakaue, Tāhourangi	15 survivors
Te Tai Rāwhiti (East Coast) region iwi Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga ā Māhaki	119 survivors
Te Matau-a-Māui / Wairarapa (Hawkes Bay / Wairarapa) region iwi Ngāti Hineuru, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga Tamatea, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Tāmaki Nui-ā-Rua, Ngāti Pāhauwera, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana, Te Rohe o Te Wairoa iwi and hapū	93 survivors
Taranaki region iwi Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Maru (Taranaki), Ngāti Ruanui, Taranaki iwi, Te Atiawa (Taranaki), Te Pakakohi	37 survivors
Whanganui / Rangitīkei (Whanganui / Rangitīkei) region iwi Ngāti Hauiti, Ngāti Rangi, Te Korowai o Wainuiārua (Central Whanganui), Whanganui Iwi/Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Whanganui (Lower Whanganui)	20 survivors
Manawatū / Horowhenua / Te Whanganui-ā-Tara (Manawatū / Horowhenua / Wellington) region iwi Muaūpoko, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Te Āti Awa (Wellington)	33 survivors
Te Waipounamu (South Island) region iwi Kāti Māmoe, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō, Ngāti Rārua	85 survivors
Rēkohu / Wharekauri (Chatham Islands) region imi/iwi Moriori, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri (Chatham Islands)	6 survivors
Iwi named, region not known Ngāti Apa, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Rangitāne, Waitaha	35 survivors
Confederations and waka, iwi not named Tainui waka, Te Arawa waka	127 survivors
Chose not to disclose	57 survivors

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora whaikaha
Disabled survivors shared their experiences

102. Pākehā and disabled survivor Mr SA, who was placed in psychopaedic care at Tokanui hospital when he was 5 years old, shared:

“I have had a disability all my life. I can’t remember how to describe it but I am now in a wheelchair and I cannot use my hands…I was a little fella when I got to Tokanui. I was there for a long time – 20 years. It was like a prison. I was locked up with criminals. They never treated me properly. No one looked after me at all down there.

I was 24 when I left…When I got out, I said “I’m free I’m free! I’m free!” No one would kick me in the stomach or grab me round the neck…I feel much better now that I’ve left. I’m not angry or upset anymore.”[87]

103. The Terms of Reference directed the Inquiry to focus on the experiences of disabled people who experienced abuse and neglect in care.[88] The Inquiry acknowledges that not all survivors who live with impairments will identify as disabled.

104. Disabled survivors made up just over a quarter (27 percent) of the 2,329 survivors who registered with the Inquiry. This does not include Deaf survivors or survivors who experienced mental distress. During the Inquiry period, disabled people disproportionately entered care, and disproportionately experienced abuse and neglect while there. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the State pursued a policy of segregated and often large-scale institutional care for disabled people, despite opposition from parents.

105. Disabled survivors told the Inquiry that neglect was the most common form of abuse they experienced. This would result in a loss of personhood, identity, dignity and autonomy and choice over their own lives and bodies. The Inquiry learned about the dynamics of control and power within disability settings, with survivors describing how staff in those settings failed to respect their dignity. They told the Inquiry how the nature of abuse and neglect within these settings was shaped by the biomedical model of care, which influenced and justified devaluing their disability, difference or diversity.

106. Just under half (43 percent) of disabled survivors who shared their experiences with the Inquiry identified as Māori. Tāngata whaikaha Māori survivors told the Inquiry that State and faith-based institutions separated them from their culture and identity as Māori. They suffered the same types of abuse and neglect as other disabled survivors, but also experienced discrimination for being both Māori and disabled.

107. The Inquiry commissioned the Tell Me About You research report to understand the experiences of survivors with learning disabilities and neurodiversity who were in State and faith-based care.[89] Tell Me About You asked survivors to share their life stories, including the impact of their time in care. The stories in Tell Me About You mirror what the Inquiry heard from other disabled survivors about the abuse and neglect they suffered in care.

108. More information on the pathways and circumstances that led disabled survivors into care can be found in Part 3. For further information and findings on the abuse and neglect experienced in disability settings, see Part 4. Additional information on the impact of abuse and neglect on disabled survivors can be found in Part 5.

Key facts about registered disabled survivors

Number	624 survivors
Gender
· Female	224 survivors (36 percent)
· Male	395 survivors (63 percent)
· Gender diverse, non-binary, other, prefer not to say, no data	5 survivors (1 percent)
Ethnicity
· Māori	270 survivors (43 percent)
· Pacific Peoples	30 survivors (5 percent)
· Pākehā / European	442 survivors (71 percent)
· Another ethnic identity	22 survivors (4 percent)
· Prefer not to say, unknown	13 survivors (2 percent)
Part of Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ community	59 survivors (9 percent)
Average age when entered care	9 years old
Type of care
· State care	506 survivors (81 percent)
· Faith-based care	211 survivors (34 percent)
· State and faith-based care	119 survivors (19 percent)
· Unknown	26 survivors (4 percent)
Needs as identified by survivor*
· Identified as having a disability before entering care	125 survivors (20 percent)
· Identified as having a learning disability	223 survivors (36 percent)
· Identified as having a mobility impairment and / or physical disability	165 survivors (26 percent)
· Identified as being blind or vision impaired	65 survivors (10 percent)
· Identified as being neurodivergent	303 survivors (49 percent)
· Identified as having a communication and / or speech impairment	50 survivors (8 percent)

+ Survivors who experienced both State and faith-based care are counted in all three groups (State care, faith-based care, and State and faith-based care).
* Many disabled survivors have multiple needs. This data is organised according to the impairment that the survivor primarily identified as having.

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora Turi
Deaf survivors shared their experiences

109. Deaf survivors comprised 6 percent of the 2,329 survivors who registered with the Inquiry. Deaf survivors told the Inquiry that their right to be recognised as an individual was neglected within education settings. Survivors of special school settings described having a hearing worldview forced onto them, while staff encouraged the neglect and suppression of Deaf identity and language. The Inquiry heard that Deaf survivors were frequently punished and abused for using sign language. This lack of support for Deaf culture and identity contributed to educational neglect, as well as psychological and emotional abuse. Survivors said it inhibited their ability to understand and report abuse, including physical and sexual abuse, in these settings.

110. Nearly half (48 percent) of Deaf survivors who shared their experiences with the Inquiry identified as Māori. Tāngata Turi Māori suffered the same types of abuse as other Deaf survivors, but also experienced discrimination for being both Māori and Deaf. Tāngata turi Māori told the Inquiry they could not access te reo Māori in care settings and many who attended residential Deaf schools grew up without access to, or an understanding of, their Māori identities.

111. More information on the pathways and circumstances that led Deaf survivors into care can be found in Part 3. For further information on the abuse and neglect experienced by Deaf survivors, see Part 4. Additional information on the impact of abuse and neglect on Deaf survivors can be found in Part 5.

112. Tāngata Turi Māori survivor Milton Reedy (Ngāti Porou), who was 5 years old when he started at a State-run Deaf boarding school, shared:

“The staff made it clear that it was not okay to sign. When they saw us signing, they would hit us on the hands, and we were told to turn our voice on and talk. Back then, the staff were told to punish the Deaf kids if they saw them signing. We followed what they said so we would not get smacked or strapped, but if they were not around, we would sign. I think what they did to us at [the school] was wrong. Not being able to sign was upsetting. We were all upset. It was like being in a concentration camp.

[The school] was very Pākehā … the school told my parents not to speak te reo to me. My culture was pushed aside. I feel there is a disconnect to my culture. A part of me is missing.”[90]

Key facts about registered Deaf survivors

Number	130 survivors
Gender
· Female	63 survivors (48 percent)
· Male	65 survivors (50 percent)
· Gender diverse, non-binary, other, prefer not to say, no data	2 survivors (2 percent)
Ethnicity
· Māori	63 survivors (48 percent)
· Pacific Peoples	6 survivors (5 percent)
· Pākehā / European	77 survivors (59 percent)
Part of Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ community	7 survivors (5 percent)
Average age when entered care	7 years old
Type of care
· State care	96 survivors (74 percent)
· Faith-based care	37 survivors (28 percent)
· State and faith-based care	16 survivors (12 percent)
· Unknown	13 survivors (10 percent)

* Survivors who experienced both State and faith-based care are counted in all three groups (State care, faith-based care, and State and faith-based care).

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora i rongo i te wairangitanga
Survivors who experienced mental distress shared their experiences

113. Scottish survivor Moira Aberdeen, who was 15 years old when she went into psychiatric care at Porirua Hospital, said:

“A psychiatric hospital, particularly in the 1970s, was not a place for a grieving and disturbed child. … I should never have been put in an adult psychiatric ward as I was a confused, distraught child deeply grieving the breakdown of my parents’ marriage and the ensuing loss of my father in my life. …I was left alone, without any emotional support and I should never have experienced and witnessed what I did in Porirua Hospital as a child.”[91]

114. The Terms of Reference directed the Inquiry to focus on the experiences of “those with…mental illness” who suffered abuse and neglect in care.[92] The Inquiry uses the term mental distress in this report. Mental distress means a mental or emotional state that causes disruption to daily life and that can vary in length of time and intensity.

115. Of the 2,329 survivors who registered with the Inquiry, 83 percent reported experiencing mental distress at some point in their lives. Some survivors experienced mental distress before entering care. Many others reported suffering mental distress during or after their time in care.

116. Many survivors who experienced mental distress and spent time in care told the Inquiry how they were removed from society because they were not valued. The Inquiry learned some were not diagnosed while others were misdiagnosed. Survivors described not being part of the decision-making process for their care. They described dehumanising abuse, including sexual, physical and emotional abuse, as well as neglect of their emotional, psychological and developmental needs.

117. Just under half (45 percent) of survivors who experienced mental distress identified as Māori. These survivors experienced cultural abuse and neglect in addition to what other survivors suffered. Tāngata whaiora Māori in psychiatric institutional settings were denied opportunities to connect with their whānau and their Māori identities. The care and treatment they received often did not reflect holistic approaches to health and wellbeing, including kaupapa Māori models of care.

118. More information on the pathways and circumstances that led survivors into psychiatric care can be found in Part 3. For further information and findings on the abuse and neglect experienced in mental health settings, including psychiatric settings, see Part 4. Additional information on the impact of abuse and neglect on mental health and emotional wellbeing can be found in Part 5.

Key facts about registered survivors who experienced mental distress

Number	1,921 survivors
Gender
· Female	784 survivors (41 percent)
· Male	1,121 survivors (58 percent)
· Gender diverse, non-binary, other, prefer not to say, no data	16 survivors (1 percent)
Ethnicity
· Māori	857 survivors (45 percent)
· Pacific Peoples	93 survivors (5 percent)
· Pākehā / European	1,242 survivors (64 percent)
· Asian	7 survivors (0.4 percent)
· Another ethnic identity	47 survivors (2 percent)
· Prefer not to say	6 survivors (0.3 percent)
· No ethnicity recorded	57 survivors (3 percent)
Part of Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ community	148 survivors (8 percent)
Average age when entered care	9 years old
Type of care
· State care	1,460 survivors (76 percent)
· Faith-based care	691 survivors (36 percent)
· State and faith-based care	327 survivors (17 percent)
· Unknown	97 survivors (5 percent)

* Survivors who experienced both State and faith-based care are counted in all three groups (State care, faith-based care, and State and faith-based care).

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora Pasifika
Pacific survivors shared their experiences

119. Tongan and Pākehā survivor Ms RK, who was taken into social welfare care at 10 years old, said:

“Despite being only 10 years old, on arrival to Kingslea [Girls’ Home] I was made to have an STI check and a pregnancy test.

I spent most of my time in the Secure Unit, including my eleventh birthday. Records show that one of the reasons for this extended placement in Secure was to protect me from the older girls at Kingslea, as I was so young.

It is indescribable the trauma of being locked up in a concrete cell at that age [10 years old] and having no one to talk to, or even look at. I would scream, cry, and howl in my cell in Secure, and staff would ignore me.”[93]

120. The Terms of Reference directed the Inquiry to recognise the status of Pacific Peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand and recognise that Pacific Peoples have been disproportionately represented in care.[94] In the later part of the Inquiry period, Pacific children came to be overrepresented within the State care system.

121. Pacific survivors talked about abuse and neglect in care in terms of neglect and violence, noting that acts of violence often came with racist abuse. They told the Inquiry how Māori and Pacific children in care were often grouped together as Polynesian and described being treated differently, or as inferior to other children due to their ethnicity. The Inquiry heard how Pacific survivors were denied access to their culture within care settings. Pacific survivors described the challenges of disclosing sexual abuse in faith-based care because of the high esteem religious leaders hold in Pacific communities.

122. More information on the pathways and circumstances that led Pacific survivors into care can be found in Part 3. For further information on the abuse and neglect experienced by Pacific survivors, see Part 4. Additional information on the impact of abuse and neglect on Pacific survivors can be found in Part 5.

Key facts about registered Pacific survivors

Number	113 survivors
Gender
· Female	32 survivors (28 percent)
· Male	79 survivors (70 percent)
· Gender diverse, non-binary, other, prefer not to say, no data	2 survivors (2 percent)
Ethnicity
· Samoan	42 survivors (37 percent)
· Cook Islands	38 survivors (34 percent)
· Tongan	11 survivors (10 percent)
· Niuean	10 survivors (9 percent)
· Fijian	10 survivors (9 percent)
· Fijian Indian, Tokelauan or another Pacific ethnicity	9 survivors (8 percent)
Part of Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ community	8 survivors (7 percent)
Average age when entered care	9 years old
Type of care
· State care	87 survivors (77 percent)
· Faith-based care	34 survivors (30 percent)
· State and faith-based care	15 survivors (13 percent)
· Unknown	7 survivors (6 percent)

* Survivors who experienced both State and faith-based care are counted in all three groups (State care, faith-based care, and State and faith-based care).

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora Takatāpui, Uenuku, MVPFAFF+ hoki
Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ survivors shared their experiences

123. Māori survivor Ms OF (Ngāti Kahungunu), who was placed in psychiatric care at Cherry Farm Hospital when she was 16 years old, shared:

“I recall being told that I was a lesbian because of penis envy. That I had come out of my mother’s body the wrong way and I was damaged on the way out. I know now that wasn’t right. This is the way that I want to be and I was given a diagnosis of schizophrenia. However, I was never schizophrenic. I was simply a lesbian.”[95]

124. Survivors who identify as Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ made up 7 percent of the 2,329 survivors who registered with the Inquiry.

125. Discrimination towards people with diverse gender identities and / or sexual orientation resulted in some people from the Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ communities being admitted to psychiatric institutions. People who did not identify as heterosexual were seen by society as mentally unwell for much of the Inquiry scope period and were affected by religious attitudes. Some survivors said they were placed in care to be ‘cured’ of their sexuality. This included through electric shocks, operations, overmedicalisation and conversion practices.

126. More information on the pathways and circumstances that led Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ survivors into care can be found in Part 3. For further information on the abuse and neglect experienced by Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ survivors, see Part 4. Additional information on the impact of gender identity discrimination can be found in Part 5.

Key facts about registered Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ survivors

Number	162 survivors
Gender
· Female	70 survivors (43 percent)
· Male	82 survivors (51 percent)
· Gender diverse, non-binary, other, prefer not to say, no data	10 survivors (6 percent)
Ethnicity
· Māori	60 survivors (37 percent)
· Pacific Peoples	8 survivors (5 percent)
· Pākehā / European	124 survivors (77 percent)
· Another ethnic identity or unknown ethnicity	6 survivors (4 percent)
Average age when entered care	9 years old
Type of care
· State care	106 survivors (65 percent)
· Faith-based care	83 survivors (51 percent)
· State and faith-based care	29 survivors (18 percent)

* Survivors who experienced both State and faith-based care are counted in all three groups (State care, faith-based care, and State and faith-based care).

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora o ngā whānau kēnge i
Survivors from gang whānau shared their experiences

127. Pākehā survivor Mr OB, who was 14 years old when he was placed in social welfare care, said:

“I think 90 percent of [Mongrel Mob members] experienced severe abuse and trauma in their childhood. The majority have been in State care and the majority got abused there. I’ve been speaking about the Royal Commission to the members and many have confirmed that they have been abused through prison and borstals. They need real help, and their mental health is no good either. We’ve been abandoned by the system and our families, so we make our own system and we are family.”[96]

128. Of the 2,329 survivors who registered with the Inquiry, 14 percent said they were a member of a gang or had family members in a gang. The Inquiry uses the term gang whānau to reflect that many survivors found a sense of family and community in gangs.

129. The Inquiry learned that significant numbers of gang whānau were placed in and abused and neglected in care when they were children and young people. The Inquiry learned why multiple generations of whānau join gangs. Those who shared their experiences clearly stated that their gang membership is about being in a whānau and part of a community that has meaning, identity, belonging, protection and acceptance.

130. Gang whānau survivors spoke about the abuse they experienced in care, how they were not believed, and that they had no one to stand up for them. Many described how, when they were children, they were treated as though they were already criminals. Some gang whānau survivors explained that their parents and other whānau members were themselves survivors of abuse and neglect in State or faith-based care, and that the impacts of this abuse had intergenerational consequences. A recurring theme for gang whānau was the failure to be given opportunities. They said that they wanted to break the cycle, so their children would not go through the same experience.

Key facts about registered gang whānau survivors

Number	333 survivors
Gender
· Female	74 survivors (22 percent)
· Male	259 survivors (78 percent)
Ethnicity
· Māori	264 survivors (79 percent)
· Pacific Peoples	25 survivors (8 percent)
· Pākehā / European	116 survivors (35 percent)
· Another ethnic identity	< 6 survivors
Part of Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ community	15 survivors (5 percent)
Average age when entered care	9 years old
Type of care
· State care	306 survivors (92 percent)
· Faith-based care	64 survivors (19 percent)
· State and faith-based care	52 survivors (16 percent)

* Survivors who experienced both State and faith-based care are counted in all three groups (State care, faith-based care, and State and faith-based care).

I whakapuaki ō rātou wheako e ngā purapura ora mauhere
Survivors who experienced incarceration shared their experiences

131. Survivor Mr NK (Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga, Pākehā), who was placed in a police cell as a child, shared:

“When I was 10 years old, I was placed into police cells by Oranga Tamariki and left there for two weeks while they found a placement for me… That was the worst time in my life… My time in the police station has left me with a life where I have been in and out of jail, and I have always found prison as acceptable.”[97]

132. Just under one third (29 percent) of the 2,329 registered survivors told the Inquiry that they had been in prison at some point in their lives. Some survivors were still serving prison sentences. The Inquiry received 151 witness statements from survivors in prison and visited 98 people in prison to talk to them in groups.

133. Survivors who had been to prison told the Inquiry that authority figures viewed and treated them similarly in care and in prison. Having or not having power was a key theme of these survivors’ accounts. These survivors said how being abused and neglected in care led them to petty crime, which became a revolving door for the criminal justice system.

134. NZ Police were involved in many survivors’ lives from a young age and they were targeted because of ethnicity or gang involvement. Survivors described being detained as children or young people in adult prisons, where they experienced psychological, physical and sexual abuse, as well as neglect.

Key facts about registered survivors who had been to prison

Number	683 survivors
Gender
· Female	125 survivors (18 percent)
· Male	556 survivors (81 percent)
· Gender diverse, non-binary, other, prefer not to say, no data	2 survivors (0.3 percent)
Ethnicity
· Māori	425 survivors (62 percent)
· Pacific Peoples	40 survivors (6 percent)
· Pākehā / European	351 survivors (51 percent)
· Another ethnic identity	23 survivors (3 percent)
· Prefer not to say, unknown	12 survivors (2 percent)
· Identified as more than one ethnicity	156 survivors (23 percent)
Part of Takatāpui, Rainbow and MVPFAFF+ community	29 survivors (4 percent)
Average age when entered care	9 years old
Type of care
· State care	616 survivors (90 percent)
· Faith-based care	174 survivors (25 percent)
· State and faith-based care	131 survivors (19 percent)

* Survivors who experienced both State and faith-based care are counted in all three groups (State care, faith-based care, and State and faith-based care).

Footnotes