Survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care are speaking out in heartbreak and anger, calling the Government’s so-called "improvements" to redress processes a betrayal of everything they were promised.

“For years, we told our stories. We relived our trauma. We put our trust in the system again, believing change would come," said Karl (Chairman of NZCAST)

"But this week, the Government showed us that our trust was misplaced. Instead of creating the independent redress system survivors desperately need, they have chosen to pour money into the same broken processes that caused so much harm.”

The newly released Cabinet paper confirms that no independent redress body will be created at this time. Instead, existing government agencies responsible for past abuses will continue to control the claims process.

“For survivors, this is not just bureaucracy, it is deeply personal,” said Karl.
"Every letter unanswered, every delay, every retraumatizing interaction with the same agencies that failed us before — these are wounds that never heal. Survivors deserve a redress system they can trust, not faster access to more harm."

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care made it clear: redress must be independent, survivor-centred, and trauma-informed. Survivors are calling for:

• The urgent establishment of a new, independent redress body,
• An immediate end to agency-controlled settlements, and
• A genuine commitment to the spirit of the Royal Commission's findings.

“We will not be silent while the Government rewrites justice on its own terms. Survivors are demanding more than token gestures. We are demanding dignity, honesty, and the redress we were promised.”

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