Media Statement

Prime Minister should act to protect sexual abuse survivors from ACC cutbacks

The Prime Minister must put a halt to ACC cutbacks that have restricted the ability of survivors of sexual abuse to access counselling, Labour Deputy Leader Annette King says.

“The National Council of Women, which Deputy Prime Minister Bill English has described as highly respectable, have written to John Key asking him to take urgent action to overturn Cabinet’s decision to allow cutbacks to ACC funded counselling for sexual survivors,” Annette King said.

“The National Council of Women state that the new ACC sexual abuse guidelines are discriminatory under UN conventions, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women and Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination and therefore the Government must act to address this.

“The National Council of Women has joined a long list of organisations and individuals who have pleaded with the Government to listen to their concerns.

“Just how long will the Government allow people who have already suffered horrifically because of sexual abuse to suffer, before they listen?

“The Government’s decision to limit access to ACC funded counselling for sexual abuse survivors is flawed and they should act now to overturn a decision that re-traumatises those who have already suffered enough,” Annette King said.

ENDS

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