Summary of Report Tabled July 2024 re Gloriavale
- Gloriavale mentioned over 150 times
- Interviewed a large majority of all adult leavers
- Found multiple failures from Gloriavale and State
- Indicates continuing concern around safety, abuse and neglect
Scope of the Issue
1019. “The Inquiry heard of abuse and neglect occurring in Gloriavale Christian Community. Much of the abuse stemmed from the authoritarian control leadership had over the community and co-occurred with spiritual abuse. Survivors spoke about the psychological and spiritual abuse community leaders perpetrated, including through the use of shame, manipulation, humiliation, and isolation; the economic and educational neglect suffered; discrimination suffered by rainbow, Māori, and disabled survivors; and, the normalised and pervasive physical and sexual abuse.”
Findings of fault – Gloriavale
From Gloriavale’s inception in 1969 through to the end of the Inquiry period, the Overseeing Shepherd and senior leadership of the Gloriavale Christian Community were at fault for:
- allowing physical and sexual abuse to happen within the community.
ii. failing to address intergenerational sexual abuse within the community which perpetrated a cycle of harm.
iii. failing to prevent and protect survivors within the community against abuse.
iv. responding to allegations of abuse by seeking to create repentance from the offender and forgiveness from the victim.
v. failing to recognise the harm of abuse on survivors.
vi. failing to deal with perpetrators of abuse appropriately, allowing them to continue living in the community and allowing abuse to continue within the congregation as a result.
vii. failing to recognise the scale and extent of abuse in the community.
viii. dealing with complaints of abuse themselves and not engaging any other authorities or professionals, including NZ Police or Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors.
ix. the role the community’s Doctrines had in creating a culture that allowed abuse to occur.
State Failures
- There is consistent and persistent evidence that the State prioritised managing its reputation, limited its liability and accountability, neutralised or covered over institutional abuse, over safeguarding people in care, despite fifty years of evidence and awareness that all parts of the care system were failing people in care.
Ineffective External Oversight & Monitoring in care settings
- Even where effective external oversight or monitoring is in place, it is crucial that decisive action is taken in response to their observations about abuse or neglect that is happening. Nearly all oversight and monitoring bodies during the Inquiry period lacked the ability to require change to prevent or respond to abuse or neglect in care.”
Risks and Challenges Remain
- A briefing to the Minister of Social Development on 20 December 2023 noted:
“A number of risks and challenges remain… These include risks to child wellbeing, education provision, and risks to the stability of Gloriavale’s commercial enterprises.”
- A 20 December 2023 briefing to the Ministers for Workplace Relations and Safety, Education, Social Development and Employment, Police, Children and Women noted that:
“There are several other legal proceedings underway relating to labour exploitation and physical and sexual abuse at Gloriavale… Oranga Tamariki and Police continue to respond to allegations or disclosures of harm towards children in the community, including those relating to harmful or concerning sexualised behaviour in children.”
Recommendations
- The Inquiry is concerned to ensure that the government does everything it can to prevent the factors that led to historical abuse and neglect in care at Gloriavale.
Recommendation 88: Ensure the ongoing safety of children, young people and adults in care at Gloriavale. (To start immediately)
433. Institutional environments and practices to be minimised and ultimately eliminated
Recommendation 35: Specialist unit to investigate and prosecute abuse and neglect in care. NZ Police should establish a specialist unit dedicated to investigating and prosecuting those responsible for historical or current abuse and neglect in State and faith-based care
Various Responses to the Royal Commission Report
Gloriavale’s Response to the Royal Commission Deadline – 25 September 2024 (RNZ reporting)
“Bottom line is we didn’t make a response,” Peter Righteous, a senior in the West Coast community, told RNZ. It’s our business as to why we respond to things or why we don’t. We are still going over the thing and thinking about all the ramifications and all that. But we decided not to respond to it and that’s that.”
Former Member of Gloriavale’s response
“Peter Righteous’ comments just show the arrogance of their whole perspective. There is no repentance happening anytime soon…”
Current Member of Gloriavale (who is waiting for Government intervention) told us privately:
“If they (the leaders) were truly repentant they would be down on their hands and knees grovelling. Nothing would be too hard for them to show their repentance. They would be prepared to do absolutely anything asked of them without question and a happy heart.”
Dr Wade Mullen – expert in abusive organisations
“Here is the unfortunate truth: no amount of patience will produce change in an abusive community that isn’t willing to surrender its legitimacy and pursue the entire truth.”