'Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light’: The release of the Royal Commission’s final report

The final report is titled, ‘Whanaketia  – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light’, and acknowledges the lengthy and harrowing journey which survivors have undergone in awaiting the release of the report and its recommendations. The Survivor Experiences Service acknowledges that this may be a highly emotional and distressing time. We would like to express our support for survivors and whānau during this time. 

This afternoon, the report was tabled in the House by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Brooke van Velden, and Members of Parliament spoke about the report.  

The Survivor Experiences Service did not have oversight or input into the final report, and alongside the public, we will be taking time to digest its content.

The report underpins the purpose for our Service, in holding space for the experiences of survivors so they are acknowledged and validated. People who were abused in care and their whānau can continue to share their experiences with us to continue their healing journey.  

We would like to acknowledge two members of our Survivor Experiences Service Board, Frances Tagaloa and Tu Chapman, who are also members of the Survivor Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE), representing survivors’ voices and providing strategic advice to the Royal Commission. We are grateful to have Frances and Tu bring their experiences to the Service to ensure that we are united in meeting the needs of survivors.  

The report is now available to the public. You can read the report here: https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/reports/whanaketia/
 
Distressing content warning: The content of the report contains explicit descriptions of tūkino - abuse, harm and trauma – and may raise difficult emotional responses from readers. If you need support, you can find information on helplines and services that offer free help on our website: https://survivorexperiences.govt.nz/support-services/ 

Survivors walking into Parliament with commemorative ribbons for the tabling of the Royal Commission's final report