The royal commission published its first interim reports on December 16.

“These reports will contain much important information and guidance that follow on from what survivors have told the commissioners about their experiences,” said Catherine Fyfe, chair of the Church’s Te Rōpū Tautoko agency.

“Church leaders will be discussing these reports widely, with the aim of looking at how we can continue to improve the way we help people who have been abused, and the systems we have in place to prevent further abuse.”

Te Rōpū Tautoko member and Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew, said: “The bishops and congregational leaders as well as many individual Church members listened carefully to the experiences of survivors as they spoke at the recent royal commission redress hearings. We want the events of the past to be examined transparently and openly. We are deeply sorry for the harm caused to so many by the abuse they suffered, and we continue to express our profound sorrow.”

Te Rōpū Tautoko is the agency that coordinates and manages cooperation between the Catholic Church and the royal commission. It was formed by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (representing the bishops of the country’s six dioceses) and the Congregational Leaders’ Conference (representing Catholic religious congregations in New Zealand).

Catholic Church leaders asked for the Church and other faith-based bodies to be included in the royal commission’s terms of reference, which originally included only state organisations.

Numbers projected for abuse in faith-based care

Research by consultants for the Royal Commission on Abuse in Care estimated that between 42,342 and 83,841 people were abused in faithbased care settings in New Zealand between 1950 and 2019.

The research, by MartinJenkins, estimated that 254,000 people passed through faith-based care settings in those years. This was out of an estimated total of 655,000 people in those years who were in care in four types of settings — social welfare care, state educational care, state health and disability care, as well as the faith-based care. These represent a subset of the full range of settings in the inquiry’s terms of reference.

MartinJenkins estimated that 254,000 people were in faith-based care settings from 1950 to 2019, with: 143,000 people (56 per cent) in faith-based children’s homes,
orphanages, and foster homes; 109,000 (43 per cent) in faith-based boarding schools; 1600 (0.6 per cent) in faith-based residential disability care settings.

In the 1950s, MartinJenkins estimate that 53,000 people were in faith-based care settings, reducing to around 25,000 people by the 2010s.

Of the estimated 655,000 who passed through care in total, MartinJenkins estimate that between 17 per cent (114,000) and 39 per cent (256,000) experienced abuse while in care.

A report published on December 16 alongside the royal commission’s interim report stated that: “While there are substantial gaps in the data available for this cohort analysis, it is clear that more people have passed through the care settings examined than was previously known or, in some cases, estimated before the establishment of the inquiry. Even on the most conservative indicative estimates, there has been more abuse in care than previously thought. On any assessment, this is a serious and long-standing social problem that needs to be addressed.”

“We will probably never know for certain how many children, young people, and vulnerable adults were abused in care in Aotearoa New Zealand in the period 1950 to 2019,” the report noted. “We can, however, make indicative estimates and continue to develop our knowledge . . . throughout the life of the inquiry.” Nonetheless, the report cautioned that the indicative estimates of the number of people who were in care, and numbers who may have been abused in care, developed by MartinJenkins are high-level indicative estimates only.

“Due to the lack of Aotearoa New Zealand research on the prevalence of abuse in care, MartinJenkins’ indicative estimates on this are based largely on international studies. International studies are, however, more heavily weighted towards some types of abuse than others (for example, physical and sexual abuse) and mostly exclude neglect. This means the indicative estimates of abuse provided by MartinJenkins would almost certainly be higher, and possibly significantly higher, had they included all forms of abuse within the scope of the inquiry.”

The royal commission’s scope, by comparison, is much broader and encompasses physical and sexual abuse, as well as emotional and psychological abuse, and neglect. MartinJenkins’ indicative estimates of prevalence may, therefore, not reflect all forms of abuse within the scope of the Inquiry, the report stated.

It was also noted that caution is required when applying overseas studies to Aotearoa New Zealand.

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According to a page on the royal commission website, the faith-based redress public hearing will take place in Auckland from November 23 to December 11.

“The royal commission will investigate the adequacy of the redress process of the Catholic Church, Anglican Church and the Salvation Army, and what needs to be done to support people who have been abused or neglected in faith-based institutions,” the page stated.

The royal commission stated that it was “appealing for information from survivors who reported the abuse they suffered while in faith-based care and sought redress, either directly from the Church or other faith-based Institution, or by filing civil proceedings in Court or the Human Rights Review Tribunal”.

“It would like to hear about their experiences of seeking and receiving redress in the form of financial settlement or non-monetary processes (such as an apology, counselling, etc.), and any suggestions for how claims processes could be improved or made more effective.”

The royal commission stated it is also “keen to hear from anyone who may have knowledge of a claim of abuse in faith-based care, or claims related to abuse in the Catholic Church, Anglican Church or Salvation Army, whether as family or whānau of a survivor, a legal representative, a professional, or defendant in any claim”.

Catholic Church abuse survivor Mike Ledingham said on the page that he encourages other abuse survivors to come forward and speak with the royal commission so that they can collectively “hold the Catholic Church and other faith-based institutions to account”.

A redress hearing was initially going to start in Wellington on March 23 and was expected to run for two weeks.

On June 8, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference stated on facebook that Te Rōpū Tautoko – the group coordinating Catholic engagement with the Royal Commission on Abuse in Care – has been asked to distribute information from the inquiry.

“The Church supports survivors of abuse in the care of the Church sharing their stories with the royal commission,” the post stated.

“The bishops and congregational leaders of the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand participate in the processes of the inquiry, through Te Rōpū Tautoko, acknowledging those who have been wounded in their care.”

A link to a page on the royal commission website was given “If you or someone you know wishes to share your story”.

The royal commission’s website is www.abuseincare.org.nz

The royal commission was scheduled to deliver an interim report to the Governor General this year and its final report in 2023.

N According to a June newsletter from Te Rōpū Tautoko, an investigation team leading the inquiry of the commission into the Catholic Church has been formed.

“It is likely that a number of case studies will be developed and specific Investigations and/or hearings will be held,” the newsletter stated.

Other investigations that the commission are undertaking include, state residential homes, psychiatric care, the Anglican Church, Māori, Pacific peoples and people with disabilities.

NZ Catholic understands questionnaires have been sent out from the royal commission to dioceses and religious orders in New Zealand.

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A statement noted that “the Catholic bishops and religious congregational leaders . . . offer their full support to the principles and aims of the commission outlined in the hearing. The Church’s leaders will actively cooperate with the commission, having supported the need for the inquiry and advocated for the inclusion of faith-based institutions”.

“The inquiry is a chance for the Church’s leadership to accept that there have been failures to put victims first. It is a chance to recommit to care, to apologise, and to do better,” the statement added.

“Te Rōpū Tautoko recognises that the way to learn lessons for today and the future is to examine, understand and address what has occurred,” the statement continued.

“The Church will take the opportunity to listen to the survivor voice of the inquiry process, to learn, and grow from the process. We must all, collectively, work towards healing and transformation.”

Te Rōpū Tautoko (Support Group) has been established to coordinate and manage cooperation between the commission and the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Through Te Rōpū Tautoko, the bishops and congregational leaders of the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand will participate in the processes of the inquiry.

In the support statement, it was added that Te Rōpū Tautoko “fully supports and encourages survivors to engage with the commissioners”.

As part of the ongoing inquiry process, the commissioners strongly encouraged survivors of abuse, who feel that they are able, to come forward and engage with the royal commission. Survivors can engage with the inquiry by registering on the website: www.abuseinstatecare.royalcommission.govt.nz.

The Te Rōpū Tautoko message continued:“We acknowledge that the Inquiry process may be difficult or may be impossible for some. For those who don’t feel that they are able to participate in the inquiry, there are other ways to share and get support: there are several survivor support groups around the country that can be located online; the New Zealand Police publish advice for victims of crime on their website: www.police.govt.nz/advice/victims; the Church has a specialist team to support those making complaints about abuse in the Church and to investigate instances of abuse or safeguarding concerns. The National Office for Professional Standards can be contacted on 0800 114 622. People can contact any bishop or religious congregation directly to discuss issues, make complaints, and/or share their experiences.

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