The final report on abuse and neglect in State and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999. This report shines a light on the myriad ways that these institutions and their leaders failed in their duty of care to hundreds of thousands of children, young people and adults and sets out a path to ensure all in care are safe and supported.

Most of the factors that led or contributed to abuse and neglect during the Inquiry period continue to persist. Through this report, survivors call for a total overhaul of New Zealand's care system and fundamental change to ensure that this national catastrophe does not continue. 

The report is made up of an introductory volume with nine parts, a survivor experience study and five case studies. 

The report finds that instead of receiving care and support, children, young people and adults in care were exposed to unimaginable and widespread physical, emotional, mental and sexual abuse, severe exploitation and neglect. For decades, survivors repeatedly called for justice but were unheard, disbelieved, ignored and silenced. Abuse and neglect in care has had lifelong impacts on survivors, many of whom died while in care or by suicide following care. For others, the impacts of abuse are ongoing and compounding. The true number of victims will never be fully known, as records of the most vulnerable people in Aotearoa New Zealand were never created or were lost and, in some cases, destroyed. 

Key findings

• Of the estimated 510,000 children, young people and adults in care from 1950 to 1999, it is estimated that up to 200,000 (at least two in every five individuals) were abused and neglected.
• Tamariki, rangatahi and pakeke Māori experienced harsher treatment across many settings. 
• Deaf and disabled survivors experienced ableist, disablist and audist abuse, including targeted abuse and derogatory verbal abuse. Deaf and disabled survivors, and survivors who experienced mental distress, were denied personhood and were often stripped of their dignity and autonomy.
• Sexual abuse was commonplace in State and faith-based care settings. 
• Some survivors were financially abused by their carers, including being forced to do long hours of physical labour.
• State and faith-based institution leaders failed not only in their duty to keep people in their care safe from harm but also failed to hold abusers to account.
• In addition to the profound individual and social costs to communities in Aotearoa New Zealand, the economic costs of abuse and neglect in care are very high. The total cost is estimated to be between $96 billion and $217 billion. Of this, the largest cost (estimated at up to $172 billion) is borne by survivors.