Petrified young teenage boys digging their own graves and a mock execution has been outlined to the inquiry into abuse in care on Friday.
A youth camp on Great Barrier Island turned from an adventure into a horrific ordeal for boys in the care of Social Welfare.
Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
The abuse survivor has name suppression.
At the age of 15 he was sent by Social Welfare to the Whakapakiri Youth Trust on Great Barrier Island.
He said it started out like Tom Sawyer s adventures but soon turned to
Friday the 13th horror.
After a few days four of the boys, including him, were marched off during the day to a site near the camp and ordered to dig.
Abuse in Social Welfare care: Survivor recalls rape, digging grave during mock executions
7 May, 2021 08:09 AM
2 minutes to read
A youth camp on Great Barrier Island turned from an adventure into a horrific ordeal for boys in the care of Social Welfare. Photo / RNZ
A youth camp on Great Barrier Island turned from an adventure into a horrific ordeal for boys in the care of Social Welfare. Photo / RNZ
RNZ
By: Andrew McRae
Petrified young teenage boys digging their own graves and a mock execution has been outlined to the inquiry into abuse in care on Friday.
The abuse survivor has name suppression.
Analysis - What did these places look like - the endless corridors, the sloppy food? This week, more than 30 years on, some welcome specifics may appear in the public record, David Cohen writes.
Photo: RNZ / Patrice Allen
The investigation by the Royal Commission will examine abuse and neglect of children and young people in residences run by the state, and by independent organisations on behalf of the state.
This includes boys and girls social welfare and family homes, and institutions that provided combined care and protection and youth justice care.
The hearing will hear from survivors of Kohitere Boy s Training Centre, Hokio Beach School, Epuni Boys Home, Ōwairaka Boys Home, Bollard Girls Home, Whakapakiri Youth Trust (Great Barrier Island), Kingslea Girls Homes, Moerangi Treks, and also Family Homes throughout New Zealand.
Sixteen witnesses will give evidence to the Royal Commission on their experiences while in care between 1950 and 1999.