A law firm working with survivors of abuse in care considers the Crown has demonstrated a complete disregard for the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission of inquiry into Abuse Care (Royal Commission) through its response to the Royal Commission that was released last week.

Cooper Legal’s Principal Partner, Sonja Cooper says the fact that the Government has declined 23 of the 207 recommendations and only accepted 19 in full shows that this Government is trying to brush the Royal Commission’s finding and recommendations under the carpet.

“In the 12 months since the Royal Commission’s final report was published, only three of the 207 recommendations have been accepted and implemented, which is extremely disheartening and demonstrates a complete disregard for the entire Royal Commission process.

“95 Royal Commission recommendations have been sitting with this and the previous Government to action since December 2021, and the Crown is considering them at a glacial pace, while survivors die without an effective remedy for their experiences of abuse and torture at the hands of the State.

“The Royal Commission could not be clearer about what is required to recognise the harm the occurred in the past and prevent this in the future. This Government has ignored these independent expert findings and is doing less than the bare minimum to address the needs of survivors of abuse and those who will undoubtedly suffer abuse in the future.

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“Multiple other countries have been brave enough to accept and implement the recommendations made by their own independent abuse inquiries. This has included creating comprehensive redress schemes that actually provide adequate healing and recognition.

“Our Government has failed to rise to the challenge the Royal Commission set for it, and has chosen a miserly response that in no way meets our international obligations to provide effective redress.

“This weak Crown response to the Royal Commission, guided by many of the same officials who designed the redress processes that have been soundly criticised by the Royal Commission is demeaning to survivors of abuse and will undoubtedly lead to negative international scrutiny when New Zealand has to report to the United Nations on its plans”, Ms Cooper concluded.

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