Abuse in Care: Survivor shares story of sexual abuse through sculpture to find freedom stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tania Sharkey, who is the lead counsel assisting the hearing, says Pacific survivors are over-represented in abuse in care, but under-represented in the data.
Spotlight on abuse of Pacific people: There are added layers of complexity rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
“You can’t just have a one off meeting,” she said. She says around 20 people will speak, have testimony read aloud or appear via video conference during the hearing, and are either survivors themselves or witnesses to abuse. Each day will see two or three people taking to the front of the fale to share their story.
Sapeer Mayron/Stuff
The Pasifika focused hearings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in state care will be held at the Fale o Samoa in Māngere. “The public hearing is just one part of the wider Pacific investigation, this is a start. There are also private sessions for survivors, written statements we’ve received, we’re looking at more fono-style talanoa too.”
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care will hold its first Pacific public hearing in July, a safe space for Pasifika survivors and witnesses to come forward.
The Pacific Investigation Team within the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care are encouraging Pasifika survivors and witnesses to come forward with their stories to ensure future generations do not go through the same lived experiences.
Lead Counsel Assist with the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care, Tania Sharkey.
Photo: Supplied
The hearing has been named Tulou - Our Pacific Voices; Tatala e Pulonga as Tulou is a term commonly used in many Pacific languages to show courtesy when one comes within another s personal space.