Factbox: New Zealand's child abuse inquiry - facts and history

By Praveen Menon

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - An interim report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into historic abuse of children in state and faith-based institutions has estimated that up to quarter of a million people were abused between 1950 and 2019.

Here are the key findings and some historical context to the inquiry:

* The report says up to 256,000 children, young people andvulnerable adults in state and faith-based care were abusedduring 1950-2019. * The inquiry also said 655,000 were in care during theperiod, six time more than government estimates. * A wide range of abuse and physical, emotional,psychological, medical, educational, spiritual and culturalneglect occurred. * Discrimination and racism by authorities and the publicplayed a role in being taken into care and the treatmentreceived in care. * Abuse in care is estimated to have cost an individual$857,000 over the course of their lifetime; the cost to societyfor abuse in care between 1950-2019 is up to $217 billion. * In boarding or residential schools excluding faith-basedschools, rates of abuse estimated from 24% to 44%. * In faith-based institutions, child abuse was 21% to 42%,which amounts to around 42,000 to 83,000 children. * At health and disability-related institutions, abuse was11% to 34%. * Most survivors were abused between the ages of five and17, although the range was from nine months to 20 years. * Most survivors were abused over a period of five to 10years. * The inquiry was established in 2018 but has been plaguedwith issues including the departure of the former chair of thecommission, Sir Anand Satyanand. * This is one of the longest running and most complexcommissions of inquiry undertaken by New Zealand.

(Reporting by Praveen Menon; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)