10 Mar 2016

State care abuse report ignored, judge says

9:08 pm on 10 March 2016

A judge who listened for seven years to stories of people abused in state care says she feels her report about how to stop it happening again has been forgotten.

The campaign wants state care to be available to young people until they are 21-years-old.

Photo: 123RF

Judge Carolyn Henwood ran the Confidential Listening Service and now, nine months after it wrapped up, she has still not heard a government response. It appeared to have "fallen by the wayside", she said.

Nor have her recommendations been publicly released.

"It feels that we've been put to one side or forgotten because I haven't had a response and many months have gone by.

"It's not satisfactory for the people who have come forward, because everybody who came forward wanted an outcome for a better future the next generation of children in care."

She is putting her faith in the overhaul of Child Youth and Family (CYF) led by Paula Rebstock, whom she has briefed.

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said she would take a paper about that overhaul to Cabinet within a few weeks, as well as advice about Judge Henwood's report.

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