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Earl White’s * childhood has been marked by violence and sexual abuse by those responsible for caring for vulnerable children.
White turned in evidence to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care on Thursday, where survivors of sexual and physical abuse are providing evidence about their battles to gain state recognition.
White says one of her earliest memories is seeing her father chasing her sister down the hall with a knife.
One of ten children, he remembers that his father regularly beat him with a strap and a jug string.
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LAWRENCE SMITH / Things
The Royal Commission of Inquiry on Abuse in Care.
His mother left when he was about 4 years old and he and his siblings came to the attention of child welfare authorities.
Eventually he and his brother Paul * were taken to the Presbyterian Children’s Home, where he was subjected to further violence.
White cried remembering her mother and her new partner visiting the house one day.
“They never got out of the car … He said he would come back to look for us … but he never came back.”
The children were returned to their father. Their father taught them to steal. There were also periodic beatings.
On one occasion he remembers collecting eggs from the chook house and throwing some of them away.
His father hit him with a piece of wood.
Ward of the state
At the age of 12 or 13, White was placed in a ward of the state and taken to the Epuni Children’s Home.
Upon arrival, they put him in a cell-like room for 23 hours a day for two to three days.
Then the violence began.
There were regular beatings from the older boys as the staff members watched.
Staff members also beat him.
White said he was once beaten up in the gym by a group of boys. One of the older children climbed onto the wall railing with a medicine ball and dropped it on his face.
White said Epuni did not attach much importance to education. She does not recall doing any school work.
“Most of the education consisted of sweeping the leaves from the driveway while the wind was blowing, so you would have to go and do it again.”
Life in Hokio
White was eventually transferred to the Hokio Beach school, where the “king peg system” was well established. It was the older boys who were left wandering around and pestering the younger boys.
They regularly handed out beatings.
“The staff would watch the fights and do nothing.”
There was also sexual abuse by one of the staff members who gave her White cigarettes in return.
He cried when he recalled receiving three cigarettes from the staff member after being sexually abused in the kitchen.
White had been smoking since the age of 5.
“I never got a proper education in Hokio – the only thing I learned there was how to improve my wiring skills and get into people’s houses.”
A cycle of drugs and crime
After being discharged from state care, he began putting those skills to use and spent time in prison.
At one point, he tried to kill himself.
“I felt so guilty that I wasn’t there for my family and I just wanted to hurt myself.”
He spoke of being caught in a cycle of drugs and crime.
Fighting for recognition
In the late 1990s, White contacted attorney Sonja Cooper, who brought legal action against the attorney general on behalf of White and her brother.
It took eight years for the case to go to court and another four years before it finally received an ex gratia payment from the Ministry of Social Development.
“I don’t think my claim has been ‘settled’ because the Crown has never been held responsible for the damage I suffered. The only way to describe the whole experience is that it was a nightmare. “
He said that from the legal action he learned that the staff member who sexually abused him was convicted shortly thereafter of sexually abusing other children.
White says the Crown knew about it, but was delayed during the legal action.
“They made it seem like it was all my fault for the abuse that was happening.”
His legal action was ultimately dismissed due to the statute of limitations. The cruel blow occurred despite a Supreme Court judge ruling that the abuse occurred.
“The Crown must take a serious look at what happened in those social care homes and find a solution that is good for the victims, not just for the lawyers and psychiatrists and all these other people who are making thousands of dollars from other people’s misery. . “
He said the government needed to analyze the intergenerational effect of violence and abuse. They would likely discover that grandparents, parents, and children had spent time in prison as a result of the abuse.
She cried when she told the attorney attending the commission, Hanne Janes, that her poor education and health problems meant she was having a hard time supporting her own children and grandchildren.
White now has emphysema and high cholesterol.
“My only concern is trying to do something for my children and grandchildren… If I die, I am just a burden to them. They can’t pay for my funeral or anything like that. “
White wants an apology from the prime minister or the governor general, an apology for all the children who have been abused in state homes.
“In fact, their hands are stained with blood … people who have been detained in those homes have committed rapes and murders.
He said that while that was not an excuse for his actions, the state houses had caused significant damage.
“I don’t consider myself a survivor because I am still waiting to be rescued.”
* Names anonymized to protect abuse survivors and their families
WHERE VICTIMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE CAN GET HELP
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Rape crisis – 0800 88 33 00 (will direct you to a nearby center), follow the link for information on local helplines
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Support for victims – 0800842846 (24 hour service)
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PortOnline information, support and information for people affected by harmful sexual behaviors
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Women’s shelter (For women and children) – crisis line available at 0800 733 843
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Sure talk – 0800 044 334, text message 4334 or web chat
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Male survivors Aotearoa (For men): follow the link for regional helplines
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111.
