Local man Rūpene Amato has been made a Companion of the King’s Service Order for services to survivors of abuse in care.

Mr Amato has been advocating for survivors of abuse for several years and has been a Board

Member of the Waikato branch of Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse.

Wairoa-born and bred, Mr Amato has been an advocate for takatāpui and rainbow community survivors and has used his personal experience at St Joseph’s School in Wairoa to advocate for male survivors of sexual abuse by priests.

He has represented the rainbow community at local, national and international levels for Out at Work, a support network for LGBTQI+ workers advocating for inclusivity at work sites.

He has been a member of the ‘Survivor Advisory Group of Experts’ (SAGE) for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions since 2019. SAGE has helped provide the inquiry with guidance and support to engage with survivors and their representative organisations on their experiences in state and faith-based care. Mr Amato has advocated to ensure the response to the inquiry accounts for the concerns and interests of all survivors, including survivors of abuse from rainbow communities.

Mr Amato is the son of Manu and Julie Amato and was raised in North Clyde. He returned home after Cyclone Gabrielle to help his parents whose home flooded. He was quickly picked up by the Wairoa Recovery team and has held the position of Kaimanaaki Matua since then.

Mr Amato said he feels very privileged to be made a Companion of the King’s Service Order in the New Year Honours 2025. “I have learned that there is a lot of power in sharing my story, particularly for those who are survivors of sexual abuse and who feel they are alone. As a survivor, I felt that it was integral that information, education and support be available to other survivors who may not be able to access information on this topic. Serving others has also been a good way for me to work through any remaining trauma that I had from my own experiences.''

Mr Amato says helping others is a key foundation for himself and his family. “After 32 years of living in Hamilton, it is great to be back in Wairoa and doing what I can for our community. “Wairoa still has hundreds of displaced whānau whose homes were affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and the June flooding. We are slowly rebuilding, but for our small town, recovery has a long sting in its tail.”

In being made a Companion of the King’s Service Order, Mr Amato said he is humbled to be acknowledged and share this honour with others who work tirelessly for justice and peace. “This is a recognition of survivors past and present.”

20 December 2024

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