Inquiry hears of mistreatment of British migrant children in NZ

From Morning Report, 7:08 am on 10 March 2017

Britain's public inquiry into historical child sex abuse has heard claims of mistreatment of children sent to New Zealand.

The inquiry has been dogged by controversy including the resignation of New Zealand Judge Dame Lowell Goddard last year.

Evidence heard today contradicts earlier claims that children sent to New Zealand were placed in foster homes where they were treated well.

It comes just days after Canadian born man Brent Mitchell told Morning Report of the mistreatment he received in foster homes in this country when he was sent here after being parted from his family.

The BBC's Tom Symonds was at the hearing and says the children that were sent to New Zealand were put into foster care "one child described being a child slave, working 18 hours a day."