New Zealand commission finds Church guilty of ‘inadequate’ responses to abuse and neglect

CNA Staff, Jul 24, 2024 / 16:32 pm

As part of a six-year investigation into decades of abuse and neglect in the country, New Zealand pointed to the Catholic Church among other institutions for what it said was the Church’s role in perpetuating abuse.

New Zealand’s abuse commission, Abuse in Care: Royal Commission of Inquiry, focused on uncovering abuse and neglect in state and faith-based care institutions from 1950 to 1999 in a final report released on Wednesday. 

The report found abuse and neglect of 200,000 survivors in New Zealand state and faith-based institutions, and pointed to the Catholic Church and Catholic institutions in particular for enabling abusers.

“If this injustice is not addressed, it will remain as a stain on our national character forever,” Arrun Soma, chief adviser of the commission, said in a video statement.

The New Zealand commission said the Catholic Church and Catholic entities responded inadequately to complaints of abuse and neglect, appointed abusers to schools, and prioritized forgiveness over safeguarding and accountability.

The report reveals that up to 42% of those in faith-based care run by all denominations were abused in New Zealand during that time period. A 2020 briefing from the Catholic Church previously noted abuse accusations against 14% of its New Zealand clergy during those decades. 

The report details different forms of abuse occurring in a variety of institutions, including physical, emotional, mental, and sexual, as well as cultural neglect and racism against the indigenous Māori of New Zealand. 

The commission found that the Catholic Church relied “heavily on psychiatrists’ opinions, leading to transferring abusers to other areas of ministry where they re-offended.” In addition, it also found the Church at fault for prioritizing its “reputation over safety” and the creation of a “power imbalance between clergy and parishioners.”

The commission noted that there was a “lack of resources and investment in those caring for children and vulnerable individuals” in Catholic institutions. 

“Faith-based institutions had some unique factors that contributed to abuse and neglect in their care,” Soma said. “The assumed moral authority and trustworthiness of clergy and religious leaders allowed abusers in faith-based institutions to perpetrate abuse and neglect with impunity.”

“Religious beliefs were often used to justify the abuse and neglect, and to silence survivors,” he continued. “Hierarchical and opaque decision-making processes impeded scrutiny and making complaints.”

From the more than 2,300 survivors who spoke with investigators, there was “a higher proportion of survivors in faith settings than in state care [who] were sexually abused,” the report read. Investigators found that “the highest reported levels of sexual abuse” were at Dilworth School in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, an Anglican institution, as well as Marylands School in Ōtautahi Christchurch, a Catholic institute, and “at Catholic institutions in general.”

“In faith-based care settings, abuse was treated as a religious transgression that required survivors to forgive, let go of anger and blame, and instead embrace those who had sinned against them; and abusers to merely repent,” Soma noted. “Many abusers were relocated and went on to continue abusing people in care.”

The New Zealand Conference of Catholic Bishops thanked the commission for its report in a July 24 statement and promised to take action following its review of the findings.

“We hope this report and the work that flows from it will result in a better society and a safer environment for all people,” read the statement by Bishop Steve Lowe, head of the bishops. “Abuse is not only historical, nor confined to one part of society or another. The inquiry’s report and the material that we heard from victims and survivors make that crystal clear.”

“Over the past 30 years, the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand has made significant progress in responding to reports of abuse and safeguarding,” the bishops continued. “We must continue to work to ensure that progress continues and that our church communities are places where people are safe.”

The commission recommended that New Zealand seek apologies from state and Church leaders, including Pope Francis. The report also called for an investigation into Catholic priests who were transferred to Papua New Guinea after abuse allegations. 

The New Zealand investigation is notably the most wide-ranging investigation into abuse and neglect undertaken worldwide, according to its leadership. The investigation looked into abuse in faith-based care, state institutions, foster care, schools, and medical settings, and interviewed nearly 2,500 survivors. 

“We thank and send aroha [love] to all survivors, your whanau [extended family] and communities who came forward,” said Andrew Erueti, commissioner of the report. “You helped us uncover the horrifying scale, nature, and impact of abuse and neglect in this country. You told us about your darkest days, years, and now decades. Your so-called protectors became perpetrators. We want you to know that we have heard you and believe you.”