That is how a Waitaki man reacted to the formal government response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care recently.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon delivered a formal apology in Parliament last month to survivors of historical abuse.
It followed the release of the final Royal Commission of Inquiry report into Abuse in Care, a 3000-page, nine-part document which included 138 recommendations for change.
Waitaki man and advocate Dugal Armour and his wife Megan, both sexual abuse survivors, attended the public apology in Wellington.
Mr Armour suffered ongoing abuse from the age of 4 by multiple people, both male and female, culminating in rape in his final year of boarding school by an authority figure.
Mr Armour said being present for the apology was "very emotional."
"For a lot of people it was the first time that they felt that sense of belonging, a sense of family, a sense of purpose. There was a sense of whanau amongst the survivors.
"That’s made a massive impact because, prior to that, I think people were feeling very isolated," he said.
The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care spanned six years and the testimonies of nearly 3000.
Mr Armour said while some speeches at Parliament felt mechanical it was a big breakthrough to hear Mr Luxon acknowledge what was historically a "systemic denial" of abuse.
"To hear those words, you are heard, you are believed, and he said I believe you.
"Honestly, as a survivor, that’s the most important thing to hear."
In October, the Chief Ombudsman issued scathing criticism of Oranga Tamariki over failing to properly investigate reports of violence and assault against young children.
"There shouldn't have been one person, or any child experience abuse of any form, let alone that it's still continuing," Mr Armour said.
Despite much sadness, the apology at least acknowledged what had happened to some extent — athough he believed it has yet to be "fully quantified".
"The range of the inquiry is very narrow ... It doesn't take into account what's been going on in sports clubs or other major big organisations or schools or hospitals or police or even within the home," Mr Armour said.
The government is now proposing a major shift to remove name suppression for sex offenders.
Mr Armour said while the apology allowed some to focus on healing it was just the start to ensuring greater accountability in communities.
"It's still going on within government agencies and it's not acceptable.
"The great advantage that we have here is that it's a small community and I think that we can incite action."
