***Distressing content warning***

At the time of the hearing Colonel Gerry Walker was the Chief Secretary of The Salvation Army in New Zealand. He has been in full time ministry with The Salvation Army since 2002 in a variety of roles. In 2018, he was appointed to The Salvation Army’s Royal Commission Working Group. In his evidence, Colonel Walker apologised to survivors of abuse in a Salvation Army care context. He outlined the redress process, which is primarily led by Murray Houston, provided an overview of the constitutional structure of The Salvation Army and explained The Salvation Army’s policies for dealing with abuse allegations.