The Royal Commission of Inquiry into care has begun hearing stories from the Pasifika community as it aims to lift the lid on decades of mistreatment.
It's the first investigation of its kind in New Zealand and special measures were made to help victims come forward.
Fa'amoana Luafutu today came to tell his truth, face his demons and break the silence for his community.
“God works in mysterious ways and I think the reason I am here today is that he had this purpose for me and I’m going to be here today to be the voice of those who aren’t here anymore.
“That is how I find the strength to do that.”
Luafutu arrived in New Zealand from Samoa at age six. His teacher gave him a new name, John, stripping him of his grandfather's name, culture and identity.
Unable to speak English or understand lessons he played truant from school and ended up at Owairaka Boys Home at age 12.
“We were deemed outside of the law but really we were just kids trying to make sense of the world we were in, after Owairaka I was never the same.”
Luafutu was beaten up, with racist slurs a part of everyday life. After sexual abuse by those who were meant to protect him, he tried to take his life.
From state institutions he moved on to gang life. Then during a stint in prison, he started writing.
He became a Christian and a playwright, reliving and taking his story to the stage.
The creative arts have helped him on his journey to recovery, but now it’s time to take on and expose the system that failed him.
“I’ve done a lot of bad things in life I just want to kind of make up for it in some kind of way and get forgiveness.”
Luafutu has chosen this two-week Commission of Inquiry to do that.
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