New Zealand on Tuesday (Nov 12) offered a rare national apology to victims and families of hundreds of thousands of young people and vulnerable adults who were subjected to institutional physical and sexual abuse over the last 70 years.

The apology followed a report by a public enquiry in July that found some 200,000 children and vulnerable adults in state and faith-based care experienced some form of abuse from 1950 to 2019.

"It was horrific. It was heartbreaking. It was wrong. And it should never have happened," Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told survivors and their families at parliament in Wellington.

"Today I am apologising on behalf of the government to everyone who suffered abuse, harm and neglect while in care. I make this apology to all survivors on behalf of my own and previous governments."

The government had completed or started work on 28 recommendations from the enquiry, the prime minister said, and will provide its full response early next year.

A bill to include a range of measures to improve safety in state care will have its first reading in parliament on Tuesday, Luxon said.

Related

---