Abuse in care: Pacific survivors share their journey of reconciliation

WARNING: following story contains distressing content from survivors of abuse in care. Karl and William were given wellbeing support before and after the interview

William Wilson and Karl Mokaraka have become close friends now but this wasn’t the case when the pair were in high school.

Wilson and Mokaraka were abused while in state care.

They recently opened up about their journey of reconciliation as Pacific survivors.

Mokaraka, who grew up in Ōtara, attended Wesley College after spending some time in state care.

“I remember William. He was a four foot nothing young innocent young man and I'd come from Ōtara and was very street savvy in how to survive because I also was also in care before I came to Wesley College.

“Our destinies collided when a prefect ordered a group of bigger juniors who were all the same age to carry out a hiding on him.

“What the threat that would get a hiding if we didn't carry it out so you know hurt people hurt people and that's exactly what happened to William.”

Wilson, who’s originally from Paeroa, spent a lot of his childhood in state care.

“I was raped by a boy that was in a family home. He was already a ward of the state and because of what happened to me they tried covering it up.

“They put me in the same room as him and then they didn't know what to do with me.

“They sent me away to a health camp for a whole year, two six-month camps in a row and then when I came back to Paeroa the whole town knew what happened to me.

“They were all undecided like they were ashamed but at the same time they were thinking ‘why has nothing been done?’.

“I took the law into my own hands. I didn't know any better.

“I signed myself into Paeroa College but a week after, my grandfather turned up with a social worker and that same day I jumped in the car and the next stop was Wesley College.”

Wilson recalled one of the most extreme cases of physical abuse he suffered as a junior at Wesley.

“I had to bend over the first step of the junior TV lounge while a young student opened and kept the door open to the prep hall.

“The dom prefect ran up down the prep hall and ran into the TV lounge and kicked me with his pointed church shoes three times in a row.

“Before he did that, he clotheslined me three times in a row… He’d run down and clothesline me like a wrestling clothesline. I ended up flipping backwards on the bottom floor.

“First morning I woke up at Wesley College, I wet the bed. My mattress was thrown outside.

“We had our first night parade. It was the first time I was given the name Willow and ridiculed and laughed about because I’m a piss pot.

“I had no control over my bowels because I was raped. I don’t know how people can be that way. It made me feel tiny.”

Wilson says a lot of the physical and sexual abuse he endured as a child has affected his mental and physical health. He has had to undergo surgery.

“I’m learning to accept that I’m going to be this way for the rest of my life but I want it never to happen to anyone else again.

“I also suffer from a chronic fissure and I’m undeveloped… I didn’t believe I could have children but I did. It’s all because I’ve been blessed.”

Mokaraka says Wilson reached out to him a few years ago seeking reconciliation.

“I asked for his forgiveness and explained that I was also a victim…. Hurt people, hurt people and that’s what happened to William.

“When we saw each other outside the Warehouse, we were both in tears. I was very surprised at how much bigger he was.”

Mokaraka testified before the Royal Commission a few years ago in support of Wilson.

“I came forward to validate not only myself but to validate William’s story because there weren’t a lot of supporters when he came out.

“There was actually quite a lot of vitriol and hatred from some of our own students that these things were passed over.”

Mokaraka and Wilson also travelled to Wellington for the presentation of the final report of the Royal Commision’s Abuse in Care Inquiry.

The report heard from about 3000 survivors and found 200,000 victims of abuse in state care.

Five per cent of the survivors, who spoke out, were Pacific people and along with Māori victims, suffered higher levels of physical abuse than other ethnicities.

The report made 138 recommendations calling on the Prime Minister to make a national apology for the historical abuse and neglect in state care. That apology will be made on 12 November.

Wilson is doubtful about the apology and thinks it’ll be another explanation.

“The internal system is the one that needs changing. It needs to reflect what they show on the external… Are we going to be always beating on these kids?

“I heard the news of how a politician used to be a bully at King’s College and he got the be a politician after that. I realised I wanted to be a politician or Minister. I don’t want to now.

“I want to be a speaker. I want to be the voice to not be regulated by the laws. I want to speak openly.”

Wilson is working with the Wesley College committee to address bullying at the school.

“They started at the end of last year. They didn’t get much done but I opened their eyes up to what to look for… Some of it is still happening. They can’t hide it anymore. It’s out.”

Mokaraka will also join Wilson and the committee, to express his great admiration for Wilson and his passion to make things better.

“He could’ve easily been a bitter man today… one word that comes to mind is courageous because he could have easily continued being hurt and put that hurt onto others and communities.”

Wilson has acknowledged Mokaraka’s ongoing support since they reconciled.

“This man’s been proactive. This man’s been a part of a lot of different things that have been going on in the world today, wanting to make a better change. I didn’t do that to him, he’s following his own path… We’re meant to be where we’re meant to be, together.”

Wesley College declined to provide comment

Watch full interview on our Youtube channel @pmnnews9698