The very thorough, multi-volume report of the Report of the Royal Commission into abuse in State and faith-based care (covering the period 1950-1999) was released this week. The Royal Commission met for six years and heard from 3,000 survivors of abuse. It is clear from the Interim Report that the full report (few will have read it all yet) will be harrowing reading, with much evidence of horrific abuse of vulnerable children, young people, and adults, especially in care facilities. That included appalling emotional, physical, racial, and sexual abuse, and may have affected at least 200,000 people. Such abuse is most often profoundly harmful, with life-long consequences. We feel deep sorrow for those who have suffered.

It is fair to say that, from a Christian and biblical perspective, any form of abuse is invariably wrong and evil. All such abuse goes against core Christian values: goodness, kindness, respect, compassion, integrity, and self-control. Abuse of others can never be justified, never be defended, never be overlooked.

Given the scale of State involvement in care, much of the abuse took place in State institutions. But it is doubly appalling to us that much of the abuse also took place in church-related contexts, including some church-run children’s homes and schools. Such abuse is completely inexcusable. We feel anguish that this happened, utterly contrary to Christian principles, and anguish that sometimes it still happens.

As a matter of justice, many survivors of abuse will no doubt be seeking financial reparations from those entities (whether the Crown or church denominations) under whom they suffered abuse. We must respect that process.

A key response of every church must now be to be extremely vigilant, and do everything we possibly can to prevent abuse ever happening in our own spaces. Churches that do not yet have rigorous safety and reporting systems should waste no time in ensuring they are in place.

And, finally, we call for Christians to pray about all this:

• that Government and churches may fully face the awful truth of what happened

• that perpetrators may find true repentance and remorse for what they did

• that, by the grace of God, many survivors may experience some healing

• that we might all be extremely careful to protect the safety and wellbeing of all those under our care

Author: Dr Stuart Lange

Dr Stuart Lange is the National Director of the NZCN and is a Senior Research Fellow at Laidlaw College, where he was formerly Vice Principal. Stuart wrote and presented the historical DVD documentary Te Rongopai: 200 years of the Gospel in New Zealand, 1814-2014.