23 Oct 2018

Royal Commission into state care abuse 'completely stalled'

From Morning Report, 7:15 am on 23 October 2018

A lawyer working for New Zealand victims of abuse in state care says Australia's apology to their victims of child sexual abuse, should embarrass New Zealand into getting on with its own Royal Commision. The apology from Australia's leader Scott Morrison follows a five-year inquiry which found tens of thousands of children had suffered abuse in the nation's institutions over decades. The inquiry in Australia heard more than 8,000 testomonies from victims about abuse in churches, schools and sports clubs. New Zealand's Royal Commission into historical child abuse in state care, announced in February, is yet to begin. Sonja Cooper is a lawyer for a number of people abused while in State Care in New Zealand. New Zealand's Royal Commission plans have "completely stalled" she tells us.