April 21, 2023
Take time to get abuse report right says redress expert
An internationally recognised expert on redress programmes says delaying the final report of the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care is the right call.
The inquiry has been given another nine months, pushing the date out to March 2024, and in the meantime a working group has been established to develop survivor-led redress options.
University of Auckland associate professor Stephen Winter says the inquiry has thrown up a huge amount of evidence which needs to be absorbed.
“This is work of immense importance. We’ve been working towards getting really good results out of the commission for years and they need more time to get it right so let’s take more time to get it right rather than get it quick,” he says.
Dr Winter, who has written on similar inquiries in Canada and Australia, says the breadth of the inquiry and the time it covers makes the New Zealand inquiry unique.
He says the extension will also mean the report doesn’t get lost in in