Ūhia te māramatanga Disability, Deaf and Mental Health Institutional Care Hearing 11 to 20 July 2022
About the hearing
The Inquiry heard from survivors who have a wide range of different disabilities including learning disability, physical, sensory disability, or identify as neurodiverse. Survivors spoke about their life experiences including abuse while in State care. This included: physical, sexual, emotional, abuse and neglect, including physical, medical, emotional, educational, and cultural neglect.
The hearing examined key themes such as:
- control and restraint in disability and mental health care
- sexual and physical abuse in disability and mental health settings by staff and residents
- neglect across disability and mental health settings, including lack of care and love; dental care; hygiene; and cultural neglect
- access to appropriate education
- adequate and accessible complaints procedures
- the investigation of complaints by monitoring agencies
- the impacts of long term institutionalisation on survivors and their whānau, with many survivors placed in care from young ages and remain in care today.
***Distressing content warning***
This material contains explicit descriptions of tūkino – abuse, harm and trauma – and may evoke strong negative, emotional responses for readers. Although this response may be unpleasant and difficult to tolerate, it is also appropriate to feel upset. Respect others’ truths, breathe deeply, take care of your spirit and be gentle with your heart. However, if you or someone in your close circle needs support, please contact your healthcare or wellbeing provider.
Hearing schedule
Outlined below are the survivors and experts that spoke at the hearing. Witness statements, briefs of evidence, video footage and transcripts of their testimony can be accessed through the links below.
Day 1: 11 July 2022
Day 2: 12 July 2022
Day 3: 13 July 2022
Day 4: 14 July 2022
Day 5: 15 July 2022
Day 6: 18 July 2022
Day 7: 19 July 2022
Day 8: 20 July 2022
Other links
Secret keeper by Catherine Daniels
“If we don't start speaking out about this and making changes it’s going to carry on.”
Survivor and artist Catherine Daniels shared her experience of abuse in care through her art at the hearing.
In the four-minute video, The Secret Keeper, Catherine shows pieces of her art and reads pieces of her writing. She shares the impacts of abuse on her life and calls for change to stop abuse happening to more children.
Catherine experiences debilitating mental distress brought on by abuse she endured, some while in care. She uses art, sculpture and writing to express her feelings and emotions about her childhood trauma, including through a recent exhibition. Catherine never knew how to express the deep trauma she experiences until she began writing and sculpting her art.