‘A broken promise’: Abuse in care survivors left reeling after Government announcement

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is being accused of breaking a promise to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care.

The accusation came on a day which Keith Wiffen said should have been one of celebration. Instead, for many survivors, it was another day of sorrow.

Wiffen, who was abused as a child at the Epuni Boys Home, has been instrumental in revealing the scale of abuse in care. He was also on the Government’s Survivor Design Team, but said it was clear the Government had not taken survivors’ advice.

There was an opportunity to do something great and good and they have failed miserably… Today should have been a day of celebration and it’s turned out to be a monumental disappointment.

He said the redress scheme needs to be completely independent of the Government.

On Friday, Wiffen was one of many survivors who contacted Stuff to voice their deep disappointment after the Government announced it was not establishing an Independent entity to manage compensation and redress for survivors.

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