Salvation Army implementing Royal Commission recommendations

The Salvation Army has reviewed the 138 recommendations in the Royal Commission’s report: Whanaketia–Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light Whakairihia ki te tihi o Maungāongo–on abuse in state care and in the care of faith-based institutions in Aotearoa New Zealand, and our response has been submitted to the Crown Response Unit and is available on our website.

We accept all the findings and the recommendations that apply to The Salvation Army.

One of the recommendations was a request for faith-based leaders to apologise for the abuse that occurred in their organisation. An apology was made by Chief Secretary of The New Zealand Salvation Army, Colonel Gerry Walker, at the Abuse in Care inquiry in 2021. There will be an apology from the world leader of The Salvation Army, General Lyndon Buckingham. The date for this is to be determined.

We have met deadlines set by the Royal Commission and will continue to do so. Many recommendations have already been implemented, but others will take time due to the complexity of the recommendations. We are committed to doing everything possible to ensure abuse and/or neglect will not occur in a centre or service connected to The Salvation Army.

We also support the establishment of the puretumu torowhānui redress system and will continue to engage with survivors in an empathetic and compassionate manner.

We remain committed to righting those wrongs and ensuring this harm caused by abuse and neglect does not happen again.

The Salvation Army Territorial Media Officer, 021 945 337, email: media@salvationarmy.org.nz (The Media Officer responds to enquiries from media outlets and journalists. If you would like to donate, are in need of help, or have some other non-media-related enquiry, please call 0800 53 00 00.)