A woman on a bench in a park in the capital Wellington, New Zealand, struggles to hold back tears. She has just told her two sons about the painful experiences she had when she was young.
– It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I saw their pain when I told them, says Frances Tagaloa.
– The teacher was popular
The sexual abuse occurred regularly from the age of five to seven.
– The teacher was popular. Unfortunately, he was also a pedophile, the woman recounts.
She attended a Catholic boarding school during her upbringing.
– I tried to suppress the pain, but kept having “flashbacks”.
She can’t shake off the painful memories.
Contrast. In an idyllic park by a playground, Frances Tagaloa shares her painful childhood.
Photo: screenshot / Reuters
Frances Tagaloa is one of 2300 victims who have shared their stories with an investigation commission.
The victims will no longer remain silent. On Wednesday, they participated in a march through downtown Wellington to the national assembly.
Rape, forced sterilization, and electric shocks
A report was presented there showing that a shocking 200,000 children have been subjected to abuse from 1950 to 2020.
– This is the beginning of a journey, the start of healing. This is what Cathrine Daniel, one of many participants in the parade, says.
The abuses occurred in forms of rape, forced sterilization, and the use of electric shocks.
Frances Tagaloa tears up when she tells how painful it was to inform her sons about the trauma from her childhood.
Photo: screenshot / Reuters
These abuses occurred in state schools and orphanages, as well as in boarding schools and other institutions run by the Anglican and Catholic churches.
Nuns hitting with belts
Anna Thompson is one of the abuse victims. She told the investigation commission about nuns who beat her with belts at night.
– The buckle of the belt cut into my skin, causing me to bleed. I had difficulty sitting due to the cuts on my back, Thompson recounted.
Jesse Kett shared how he was raped and beaten. This happened at a state boarding school when he was 8 years old.
– Sometimes the abuser was alone. Other times, some staff members witnessed the abuse, Kett said during the hearing conducted by the investigation commission.
The scale of the abuse shocks not just the residents of New Zealand, but far beyond its borders.
More openness with Pope Francis
The Catholic Church in Norway also reacts, but does not know the details of the report.
Sister Karolina Terezie Bogoczova in the Catholic Church in Norway.
Photo: private
Sister Karolina Bogozova, or “Sister Karolina” as she is called – is a prevention advisor in the Catholic Church in Norway.
– According to the report, abuse has been a significant societal problem in New Zealand. The details must be addressed by the state, the Anglican Church, and the Catholic Church in New Zealand. But let me say that every single act of abuse is one too many, says the nun.
“Sister Karolina” believes there is now a completely different openness within the Catholic Church.
– The Catholic Church no longer remains silent about the abuse. We are implementing more measures to prevent abuse both globally and nationally.
The last two popes, Pope Benedict and Pope Francis, represent a line of openness.
– If I remember correctly, as recently as 2022, Pope Francis reiterated that a priest cannot continue to be a priest if he is an abuser. So it is very important to emphasize that there is now zero tolerance for abuse in the Catholic Church.
“Sister Karolina” says there have been no cases of abuse in this country in recent years. As in the rest of society, suspicions of abuse are reported to the police.
– A dark and sorrowful day
Toni Jarvis is one of the many who have reported abuse to the commission in New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.
Photo: Brett Phibbs / AP
– For a long time, they didn’t believe us; they thought we were making up the stories we came forward with, he says.
Now, they are being believed.
– This is a dark and sorrowful day in the history of our country, said Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Wednesday.
It has been painful to talk about the past, but important to contribute, says Frances Tagaloa, who is interviewed by Reuters on the bench in the park in Wellington.
A large number of victims are from the indigenous Maori population. The common denominator is that they were young, vulnerable, and terrified.
– The state and churches have failed you, said Prime Minister Luxon this week.
Abuse victims in New Zealand must wait until November 12 before receiving a formal apology and financial compensation from the government in Wellington.
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