A teenager abused in state care wants to see the Government open an inquiry for those tamariki who were abused after 2000.
In a speech at the Child Poverty Action Group's Post Budget Breakfast in Christchurch, 15-year-old Ihorangi Reweti-Peters said there needed to be an inquiry dedicated to tamariki in state care who had experienced abuse after 2000.
"It's important we have the opportunity to be heard as well."
He also spoke to Breakfast, where he reiterated his call when asked what funding was needed to protect tamariki better.
"The Government needs to be open or continue an inquiry that is just dedicated to the tamariki that has been faced with abuse ... after the year 2000."
Reweti-Peters said he knew of many tamariki who had now been blocked from speaking to the inquiry.
The Royal Commission into Abuse in Care is examining abuse which occurred in state and faith-based care between 1950 and 1999.
Its disrection to look outside of this time period was removed in April.
Budget 2021 has allocated $90 million over the next two years so the commission can continue its inquiry. It comes after it asked for emergency funding top-ups after it blew its $56 million budget.
Reweti-Peters was uplifted from his parents when he was seven months old. He lived with his grandparents until he ended up back in the system when he was 10.
He has been in state care since, where he says emotional and physical abuse has taken place.
The teen also told Breakfast he wanted to see mandatory counselling introduced for children uplifted from their parents by Oranga Tamaraki.
"It would have made a tremendous difference. I would have been able to talk about the abuse I was facing and feel like I was listened to and valued."
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