The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry has presented its interim report ‘Stolen Lives, Marked Souls’ to the Governor-General. The report covers abuse experienced by survivors in three Catholic Church institutions in Ōtautahi Christchurch over several decades: Marylands School, Hebron Trust and St Joseph’s Orphanage,.

The report contains no recommendations, as these will be included in the Royal Commission’s final report, due in March 2024.

At the direction of the Minister of Internal Affairs, an embargoed copy of the report is provided for your information. The report is embargoed until 2pm on 2 August 2023.

Background

As part of its investigation into abuse in the care of the Catholic Church, the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry undertook a case study, including a public hearing, into abuse in the care of the Order of St John of God.

The Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God (Order of St John of God) is a religious order of the Catholic Church whose members cared for children and young people in Christchurch from the early 1950s onwards.

Marylands school and the Hebron Trust were established in Christchurch in 1955 and1984 respectively, by the Order of St John of God.

Children were referred to Marylands by state agencies, health professionals and parents. It was established for disabled boys but not all boys who attended were disabled. Many of the boys were sent after being excluded from their local school, or because their family felt they would get a better education.

The Hebron Trust was a residential programme in Christchurch from 1986 to 1993 for youth in need of safety, shelter and support, including ‘street kids’. They had the permission of the Bishop of Christchurch and support, accreditation and funding from the Ministry of Health, the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare.

St Joseph’s Orphanage (operated by another religious order) was situated near Marylands School in Halswell. The St John of God brothers interacted with orphanage children there and at Marylands School.

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