The handling of at least 4000 unmarked graves has been called "a slap in the face" by some whānau feeling let down by the Government's response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
The commission found that at least 200,000 people were abused in state and faith-based care. Some unmarked graves linked to institutions were rediscovered by chance, including 500 at Tokanui in Southland, found by a woman riding her horse in 1991.
Porirua Cemetery has 1700 unmarked graves. Most were psychiatric patients, including Andrew McMinn's great-great uncle and former All Black Archie McMinn.
"To me, it just feels so wrong," McMinn said.
"He was fairly well-known and then to be forgotten like that, yeah, it hurts."
The Royal Commission recommended an independent investigation into the 4000 unmarked burials, or urupā. But the Government confirmed to 1News it had no intention of commissioning an investigation, which McMinn called "just a slap in the face".
"To not do that is to steal history from these people."
Abuse in care survivor Keith Wiffen said the institutions and homes "had an extremely serious culture of serious abuse and neglect".
"You've got to investigate how many of these deaths came about through suspicious state circumstances and possible malicious acts.
"And some families are suspicious about how these deaths have occurred. Some families have only become aware of these deaths a long time after they've happened."
'Smoke and mirrors'
Emails obtained by 1News showed that in June, communications within responsible minister Erica Stanford's office said "decisions hadn't been made yet about the independent investigation".
The recommendation needed "further consideration", the official Crown Response Plan had also stated in May.
But the minister’s office said it was a mistake, confirming that the Government "does not intend to establish an independent investigation of unmarked graves and urupā".
Instead, Stanford's office said local authorities were "the appropriate organisations to be undertaking this work".
Last year, the Government launched the Survivor Support and Recognition Fund, which allowed councils to apply for $50,000 grants to memorialise unmarked graves.
But so far, just one council – Rangitīkei – had been allocated money.
"It seems like there's been smoke in mirrors by the Government saying it's followed the recommendation while actually no independent or impartial investigation has been undertaken," Cooper Legal lawyer Lydia Oosterhoff said.
Up to $50,000 allocated to each council to finally recognise those buried without meaningful memorials. (Source: 1News)
'State of denial'
Advocates are worried that unidentified names, graves or causes of death are lost.
"I don't doubt for one minute that there's more [graves]," Wiffen said.
Oosterhoff said she had clients in psychiatric hospitals who spoke of the impact of "knowing that someone was alive one day and died the next, and assuming that person had ended up in an unmarked grave".
"That's caused them extreme trauma."
Canada's investigation into unmarked graves at residential schools uncovered hundreds more than first thought.
In her final report, Canada’s Special Interlocutor for Unmarked Graves, Kimberly Murray, said countries refusing to support the work was in "breach of international law".
"If New Zealand isn't wanting to have the truth come out, it's kind of in that state of denialism."
An investigation has been recommended that could lead to whānau being connected, Political Editor Maiki Sherman reports. (Source: 1News)
Placed in hospitals and forgotten
Diana McKay is hoping to see a memorial built at Waitati in Otago.
Among the unmarked graves was a family member, a former Orokonui Hospital psychiatric patient.
"They were just put in hospitals and probably forgotten about, and that's why they end up in unmarked graves," she said.
“They’re not here to tell us.”
On November 12, as part of the National Day of Reflection, the Government announced round two of the contestable Survivor Support and Recognition Fund, with $700,000 allocated for local authorities on top of $2 million already in the fund for an array of projects, including ceremonies and research.
Five councils have since applied, and applications for the fund remain open.
1News requested an interview with Stanford for six consecutive weeks before being declined.
To seek help from the Survivor Experiences Service:
Phone (NZ): 0800 456 090 (8.30am - 4.30pm Monday - Friday)
Phone (Australia): 1-800 456 032 (8.30am - 4.30pm NZT Monday - Friday)
Email: contact@survivorexperiences.govt.nz or records2@survivorexperiences.govt.nz (for records support)
Text (NZ): 8328
Text (Australia): +61 438 384 957
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