New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has formally apologized to the hundreds of thousands of children and adults who were subjected to abuse in the state's and church's care.
It was terrible. It was heartbreaking, said Luxon in the country's parliament in Wellington on Tuesday.
The apology comes after an investigation in July showed that approximately 200,000 people – including many indigenous people – were subjected to "unimaginable" abuse in state-run institutions, foster homes, and church-run care facilities over several decades.
For many of you, this meant that your life path was changed, and for this, the government must take responsibility, said Christopher Luxon.
Of the 650,000 people who were in institutions between 1950 and 1999, nearly a third suffered physical, sexual, verbal, or psychological abuse, according to the report, which stated that it is a "national shame".
