Internal Affairs Minister Tracey Martin can't say she's got confidence in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care after a paedophile attended its meetings.
It was revealed on Tuesday a convicted paedophile attended gatherings with sexual abuse victims.
- 'It made me feel sick': State abuse victims shocked over paedophile at Royal Commission of Inquiry gatherings
- 'I'm horrified': Minister Tracey Martin wants answers over paedophile's presence at meetings
- 'Alone in a room with no support': Abuse survivor slams Royal Commission
"To find out later on that I had put myself into a situation where there was a paedophile, it made me feel real sick," victim Cath Coster told Newshub.
Martin said she was in the dark about what precisely happened and how many meetings the paedophile was at as the commission is separate from Government.
"I only know what you know, because of the independence of the Royal Commission of Inquiry," she told The AM Show.
"According to media reports some say two meetings, some say three meetings."
She's certainly not happy about the debacle and will be meeting with the commission at 3:30pm today to get an explanation.
"I can't say that I have 100 percent worth of confidence in the royal commission right now no. Which is why I am really really pleased to have this meeting."
- Government inquiry into abuse in state care announced
- Sir Anand Satyanand stepping down from Royal Commission
Shutting down the entire inquiry would be difficult and maybe too far a step, but Martin says she needs assurance such a mistake won't happen again.
"It took a very long time for survivors to gain a Government that actually would make sure that New Zealand was going to face what happened to them in the past.
"I've been contacted by some survivors through social media saying 'please don't stop this, just sort it out so that we can move forward'
"I'm hopeful that commission can give me confidence today that they have learnt from the errors made cause this is absolutely an error that should never have happened."
Newshub.
