'I apologise absolutely and sincerely' - Anne Tolley to victims of abuse in state care

  • 30/07/2017

The Minister for Vulnerable Children has offered an apology to former wards of the state who appeared on The Hui's 'Ngā Mōrehu' episode.

"I apologise absolutely and sincerely," said Anne Tolley.

But when asked about calls for a public inquiry, Ms Tolley said she was still unclear what it would achieve.

More than 100,000 children were removed from their families between the 1950s and 1980s. Many were physically, sexually and mentally abused while in state care facilities.

The Ministry of Vulnerable Children/Oranga Tamariki was launched in April following a damning report by an expert panel on its predecessor, Child Youth and Family.

Today 5453 children are in state care, and a record 3354 - six in 10 - of those children are Māori.

Ms Tolley spoke to The Hui about when Māori can expect to see a reduction of those numbers - watch the video.

The Hui