Children – Article 7 Children with disabilities can be especially vulnerable to poor outcomes. We understand children with disabilities are significantly over represented in the care and protection population in State Care.15 Back to top. Historic cases of abuse – Article 7 Many New Zealanders who were placed in government institutions suffered sexual, physical and psychological abuse. Of these people, people with disabilities were overrepresented. A recent report from the Donald Beasley Institute concluded that people with learning disability were subjected to systemic abuse in institutions, care homes, educational facilities, and foster homes in New Zealand between 1950 and 1992.16 Allegations of abuse in State care are dealt with through a variety of mechanisms. These include the: a.) existing social security regime. b.) Accident Compensation framework. c.) Ministry of Social Development’s Historic Claims process. d.) Courts (to a very limited degree). The IMM notes the Ministry of Social Development’s Historic Claims processes (which may provide individuals who chose to engage with them a remedy). However, the IMM is concerned that existing processes do not enable examination of underlying systemic questions and therefore do not ensure that events like this are prevented from occurring in the future. The IMM believes that several things need to happen to address Historic cases of abuse in State Care, namely: a.) The voices of those abused need to be heard and the ongoing impact the events have had on their lives understood and officially acknowledged. b.) Prompt and impartial investigation and redress processes need to be considered to establish whether there were any systemic failings of past governments. c.) The impact on disabled people (including those with intellectual disabilities) and Māori must be identified and recognised. Lessons need to be learned from the past and action taken to prevent future abuse. Back to top. 15 https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/work-programmes/cyfmodernisation/cabinet-paper-modernising-cyf-expert-panel-interim-report.pdf 16 Mirfin-Veitch, B. & Conder, J. (2017). “Institutions are places of abuse”: The experiences of disabled children and adults in State care. Dunedin: Donald Beasley Institute. Page 12