Abuse in Care Inquiry contributions honoured by King, mixed emotions for survivors

Twelve people whose experiences shaped the Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care have received King's honours at a ceremony at Government House.

Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro presented the medals for services to survivors of abuse in care, on behalf of the king, on Monday afternoon, the first in a number of ceremonies this week.

Receiving the insignia of a companion of the King's Service Order were Jim Goodwin, Tristram Ingham, Leoni McInroe, Moeapulu Frances Tagaloa, Gary Williams, and Paul Zentveld.

Receiving the King's Service Medal were Kath Coster, Hanz Freller, Toni Jarvis, Neta Kerepeti, Eugene Ryder, and Darryl Smith.

Dame Cindy Kiro told the room she saluted the courage, the strength and the resilience of those survivors, in the face of daunting odds.

But for many survivors, it had been a difficult decision to accept them.

Ryder, who entered care aged 11 and experienced abuse in boys' homes, faith-based homes and foster care, said he had wrestled with the decision.

In the end, he said he did it for those who could not be there.

"It was important for those survivors who feel they don't have a voice, who feel they can't be represented at the highest level, so that helped me decide to come and accept this award - it wasn't an easy thing."

His mokopuna performed a haka as he left the stage, and he said it brought him to tears. His granddaughter was the first in the family to speak te reo - he called her "our kaitaki reo".

Toni Jarvis, who entered care at 10 days old and was abused in a number of boys' homes, including Epuni and Hokio Beach, said there was an irony to accepting a medal from a king whose agencies he had been fighting for decades.

"I'll be honest, I don't stand here with a King's medal for the King, or for the country. I stand here for morehu/survivor whanau, and my loyalty will always be to my morehu/survivor whanau, first and foremost."

He said he took comfort in some words of wisdom he had once heard.

"'The greatest blessing you can receive is the acknowledgement and the blessing of your enemy' - and I never thought of it that way," he said.

"And I'm not here as an enemy of the Crown, I'm here as a very passionate person who wants to see change. I've survived horror, I've survived hell. A lot of our whanau have."

Tristram Ingham, a medical academic with lived experience of disability, was tasked with helping the inquiry committee understand the experiences they were hearing.

He said now was the time for change.

"Honours, they're good, they're nice. Apologies, they're helpful. But what we actually need is a fundamental paradigm shift in the way we treat and value members of community who need our aroha and support, not to be ignored."

Did he think change was likely? "I would like to think so."

"The power dynamics between those who have power and control, and those who don't - tangata whaikaha Maori, disabled people, survivors of abuse in care - until those people, until we have the power and control and self-determination, the mana motuhake, to say what's important in our own lives, this is never going to change."

The bulk of survivors are still waiting for news on a redress scheme.

Gary Williams, who experienced abuse and neglect in disability facilities, said he wanted the government to get a move on.

"I just ask the government to get on and do the job that we expect them to do," he said.

Asked whether that included redress, Williams said: "Yes, it includes everything. We can't wait forever, because survivors are dying every day."

Lake Alice survivor Leoni McInroe said she too struggled with whether to accept it. "It was not an easy decision to accept this recognition, because of my fight with the Crown, because of the way that I've been treated by the Crown.

"And I made a decision to accept this medal, because before anyone knew about Lake Alice, and the publicity, my children have carried that story."

She said her children had never been embarrassed by their mum and always stood by her, but she nonetheless felt embarrassed for them for being known as a child of Lake Alice. "This washes that away, in my mind."

But she, like so many survivors, said there was still work to do.

"With this beautiful medal, I will continue to fight the Crown for the children of Lake Alice, for justice, for accountability. No, the fight is not over by any means."

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