The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse In Care

 

Apology from the District Leader on behalf of the Marist Brothers

Brother John Hazelman, District Leader.

 

The Catholic Church’s involvement in the Royal Commission process is based on the following principles:

Every person has an innate human dignity (te tapu o te tangata). Therefore, the Church’s representatives

• regard all forms of abuse as unacceptable and indefensible
• accept the responsibility to continue to act to stop abuse
• listen to, learn from, and support survivors
• act swiftly on complaints and follow them through
• commit to ensuring transparency

Disclosing abuse and seeking redress is an important and difficult step for survivors on their long journey of healing.

The Champagnat Marist community is cooperating with the Commission and its procedures.

The Commission offers a welcome opportunity for people to share their stories of abuse and the lasting impacts of this abuse.

The public hearing process will be the first time when some people’s experiences of abuse have been discussed in a public forum.

We are listening respectfully to the experiences of all who have been harmed.

We apologise to victims of historical abuse and acknowledge with deep regret the impacts that such experiences have had in people’s lives.

We should have protected those in our care from any form of abuse and, thankfully, we now recognise it for what it is – it is a criminal offence.

If you or a member of your family has been harmed in the care of the Marist Brothers, there are several ways your complaint can be heard:

• Contacting local Police, phone 111, or Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children on 0508 326 459.
• Information regarding The Royal Commission, and how to contact them is available on their website at; https://www.abuseincare.org.nz/
• The National Office of Professional Standards, are available to assist with the reporting of abuse at; https://safeguarding.catholic.org.nz/report/

If you would like support from the Marist Brothers’ to report abuse, please contact our Professional Standards Office.