Ken Clearwater: Abuse in care advocate says report is an opportunity to validate what actually happened

The Prime Minister will apologise for abuse in care later this year.

A major report into the history of abuse in care and faith-based institutions is being tabled in Parliament today after six years of hearings.

Recommendations will be made and New Zealand's history of abuse will be laid bare.

Abuse in care survivor and advocate Ken Clearwater told Mike Hosking many people have not been believed.

“You’re telling your truth and everyone’s calling you a liar, so this is an opportunity to validate what actually happened to these kids.”

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today we hear from the Abuse and Care Royal Commission.
More than three thousand survivors gave evidence over sixty years.
One of those survivors is Keen clear Water, who's with us.
Good morning, Good morning, Mike. What does today mean to you?

Speaker 2 (00:13):
It's messive. I mean for me, this is you know,
I've been doing this work now since ninety ninety four,
so thirty years. But then the men that I've been
working with, for them, it's their lifetimes, you know, some
of them were four and five years old. So so
it's pretty MESSI and I think, I really think the
country are going to be shocked once they once they
read the report.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
Very interested that you've read the report.

Speaker 2 (00:36):
No, we know so no one's seen it. No one's
seen it. But I think the even that the news,
I don't think he's given it all lay at Zimbargo,
so now we've got no idea of what's in it.
I was pretty fortunate. I was one of the commissioners
on the Royal Commission, so they got to meet you know,
like quite a few of the survivors that came through it.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
Did this stories you here correlate with what you knew?

Speaker 2 (01:04):
Oh? Yes, yes, it did. I was shocked with some
because I've been working over the years with a lot
of guys that were in the gangs and in the
prison system. That's why I started. When I started at
ninety four, is when guys started disclosing what had happened
to them. And I will be honest with you, in
my heaven, with my own experience as a survivor of

(01:26):
childhood sex, it was like it was like listening to
a Stephen King novel. Well, some of the horrendous stuff
that was done to these innocent kids.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
What's the point? And don't misunderstand why I asked the question.
You know, given we know what happened, and given what
we will hear today is a confirmation of what we knew,
what's been the point.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
The point is the fact that it's going to the
public again. And know people are going to know because
nearly every person that I've worked with, men and woman,
have never been believed. Don't lie a priest, wouldn't do that,
or don't lie, that wouldn't happen to you in a
voice home that you know, you know you wouldn't get
raped and tortured and electrocuted and stuff like that, and

(02:13):
so people would never believe. So as a young boy
or a young girl growing up and you're telling your
truth and everyone's calling you a liar. So this is
an opportunity to validate what actually happened to these kids.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
How much of what was going on there was mad
experimentation in other words, it was sanctioned by the state,
and how much of it was just straight up and
down abuse by thugs. It was both.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
And I mean when you look at doctor Leeks from
the in the Lake Alis case, I mean he was
electrocuting kids for the sake of elexecuting, not not for treatment,
and so that was on their genitals and things like that,
locking six seven eight year old kids up in solitary
confinement for weeks on end, and things like that, standing

(03:00):
out in the yard at three o'clock in the morning
and getting naked and getting hose down because you said
something back to someone. And the beatings were absolutely horrendous.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
So we get this report today, the apologies coming in November.
It can't put it right. But does it do enough.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
That the apologies no good unless there's some action with it.
And I mean, I look at the guys that I
work with that have been in and out of institutions
all their lives, can't get jobs, never had jobs, they
were not educated. Ninety percent of the never got any education,
so their lives have been completely destroyed. So you've got
to have a lot of it. What do we put

(03:42):
in place to help these guys health issues, counseling and
supports like that, and a lot of guys still are
still in stake here because they're on benefits, or they're
in prison, or they're in the mental health system. So
it's about what can you put in place to help
these guys woman, you know, e a decent life over

(04:03):
the next few years.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
Go well today, I can appreciate your time, King clear Water,
run Abusing Kia survivor and of course advocate for more
from the my Casking Breakfast. Listen live to news talks
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