Photo: RNZ
WARNING: This story contains content that may be disturbing to some readers.
Police have prosecuted fewer than one in ten of the cases referred from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.
The inquiry found at least 200,000 people were abused, and even more neglected, by the state and faith-based institutions from 1950 to 1999.
More than 2300 survivors gave evidence to the inquiry with 110 referrals made to police.
Information released to RNZ under the Official Information Act showed, as of November, seven referrals had resulted in convictions and 11 remained open - including two scheduled for trial and one awaiting sentence.
However, 93 were closed without prosecution with 47 (42.7 percent) not meeting the test for prosecution under Solicitor-General's prosecution guidelines.
Cooper Legal principal partner Sonja Cooper, whose firm had acted for hundreds of abuse survivors and victims, said she was not surprised by the statistic.
"To be perfectly blunt, it doesn't surprise me in the slightest," she said.
"I think it's sad, but it doesn't surprise me in the slightest."
For a prosecution to be taken it had to pass two hurdles - enough evidence to prove the proposed charge beyond reasonable doubt and whether prosecution was in the pub
Continue Reading on RNZ
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.