Ara Taiohi calls on the government to learn the lessons of the Royal Commission of Inquiry intoAbuse in State and Faith Based Care’s Report

Ara Taiohi is deeply troubled by the revelations made in today’s report by the Royal

Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. It is a damning indictment

of New Zealand’s failure to protect and to provide for vulnerable young people in our

society.

We would like to acknowledge the impact that today’s report will have on survivors of

abuse, including any rangatahi who have been affected by abuse. Alongside the dedicated

organisations and ngā kaimahi who support survivors of abuse, the youth development

sector is here to awhi those for whom this report is not just words, but their lived reality.

Such abuse must never happen again. We are calling on the government and faith-based

providers to learn the lessons of this Report and to implement the recommendations of the

Royal Commission, ensuring that robust systemic protections are in place to safeguard the

wellbeing of our rangatahi.

Responding to today’s Report, Jane Zintl, CEO of Ara Taiohi expressed her horror at today’s

report, stating that “We must never again fail to protect our rangatahi. The care system has

a duty to comprehensively care for and nurture the young people it engages with."

"We are concerned that the government is moving in the wrong direction when it comes to

transparency and accountability within the care system. The learnings from this report must

inform the direction of state care moving forward, and the proposed removal of section 7AA

of the Oranga Tamariki Act and the introduction of Military Style Academies must be

reviewed in light of today’s report."

Ara Taiohi and our partners across the youth development sector will continue to engage

with the government to encourage the inclusion of positive youth development approaches

within protection policies and practices, and to highlight the role that trained youth workers

can play in delivering a holistic system that protects and cherishes our rangatahi.