Our nation let them down — it’s time for us to stand with them.

ActionStation petition organiser Anneleise Hall delivered a petition calling for an inquiry into abuse of children in State care. Marianne Elliott says our country failed those children, and it’s time for us all to stand with them until they get the justice they deserve.

I just got back from Parliament. For over an hour this afternoon Ngā Mōrehu — the survivors — shared stories of the abuse they suffered while in ‘state care’ and the impact that abuse has had on their lives and on the lives of their families and children.

As these brave men and women talked, hundreds watched on. Friends, family, MPs, media and many others. It was an emotional and powerful event.

Ngā Mōrehu, survivors of abuse while in state care, tell their stories at Parliament

Thanks to the support of the ActionStation community — adding their names to Anneleise’s petition and chipping in to fund us to support her campaign — we were there today to help Anneleise to deliver her 5,296 strong petition alongside an open letter from the Humans Rights Commission.

One after another the survivors, Ngā Mōrehu, stood bravely and told us what had brought them there, and why there needs to be an inquiry.

One man came up to me to ask if he could have one of our signs to hold. The sign read: “5,296 demand justice for Ngā Mōrehu, abuse survivors”.

“I’ve never been able to put my past behind me,” he told us, “and I’ve been waiting 50 years to tell my story here today.”

A little while later, Mark stood on the steps of Parliament with a sign in his hand reminding him that more than 5000 people were standing with him as he told his story. I’ve rarely been as proud to be part of the ActionStation community as I was in that moment. I’m not going to lie, it made me cry.

Mark, a survivor of abuse in state care, tells his story.

This abuse continues today. 19 year old Tupua Urlich spent his childhood in foster homes and spoke today of the continued abuse that still occurs to children in the ‘care’ of the state.

Tupua, a survivor of abuse in state care, tells his story.

Thanks to the support of the ActionStation community, we were able to have our campaigner Rick Zwaan there to take hundreds of photos and live stream on the ActionStation Facebook page. So thousands of people who weren’t able to be there in person could hear Tupua and Mark’s stories along with all those who spoke. This is just one of the ways we were able to spread the message thanks to your support.

Because of lots of small donations from ActionStation members, our Community Campaign Manager Eliot Pryor was able to support Anneliese from the launch of her petition. Today I was able to be there to stand with Anneleise and personally support her through what was inevitably an emotional day for both of us. I was also there to represent the more than 5000 who signed her petition.

Anneleise Hall hands her petition to Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei

The petition was accepted by Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei, and will be tabled at Parliament to go to Select Committee. The Human Rights Commission also presented the Open Letter signed by over 10,000 New Zealanders, to Maori Party MP Marama Fox.

A survivor of abuse in state care hands the Human Rights Commission open letter to Māori Party co-leader Marama Fox.

Watch out for news coverage of this event tonight, all the major news organisations were there today. Anneleise will update you next week with a personal report on the event, and further chances to take action.

My hope is that the courage of the survivors who spoke today will make it impossible for the Government to continue to ignore their calls for an independent inquiry into the abuse suffered by so many children while in State care.

Although children from every ethnicity and class were abused while in State care in our country, there is simply no denying that Māori children were disproportionately affected by this horrific history. There is growing evidence that the seeds of our countries most violent gangs were planted in the violence and abuse of boys homes across this country. As someone said to me today, “there are whole wings of Paremoremo filled with men who were in Epuni Boys Home.”

As a country, we let down those children. We failed to protect them, and we allowed them to be taught that they were worthless and that there was nothing in life for them but violence. And then when they act in violence, we lock them up in prison and tell them, again, that they are worthless. It’s not just a tragedy, it’s a fucking travesty.

This has to stop now. It’s time for some moral courage from our supposedly compassionate Prime Minister. And if he’s not convinced yet of the need for an inquiry and an apology, then it’s up to all of us to fight for that until he is. Fight for it as though every one of the children abused in State care was our own.

If you haven’t already signed Anneleise’s petition, it’s not too late. We can deliver an updated number if it continues to grow. You can also email your MP, especially if they are a National MP, and let them know that you want justice for the survivors, in the form of an independent inquiry into the abuse.

As one of Ngā Mōrehu said today, “If not us, who? If not now, when?”