Judge endorses child abuse
“The Government can get as many reports as it likes but until Judges are held to account for the disastrous consequences of their actions nothing will change.”
________________________________________
For immediate release:
Judge
endorses child abuse
“No wonder New Zealand
has such a high incidence of domestic violence and child
abuse.”
That was the reaction by the Sensible
Sentencing Trust to a three year sentence [two year
non-parole] handed down to the father of a 9-year-old West
Auckland girl found hiding in a cupboard after months of
torture and abuse at the hands of her parents.
Trust
Spokesman, Garth McVicar said the Judge had virtually
sanctioned child abuse by giving such a pathetic
sentence.
The girl was found by police in November last year hiding in a cupboard - reportedly starving, dehydrated and covered in injuries.
Soon after, the Herald revealed that Child, Youth and Family removed the girl from her mother's care in 2001 because of concerns of neglect.
She was returned to her parents' care in December 2008 and the physical abuse began soon after.
The girl and her four siblings are now in foster care.
The case caused a storm of controversy when the mother was sentenced, with the head of CYF admitting social workers failed the girl and that the case highlighted the need to improve practices.
Twenty-five agencies, including CYF, had been involved with the family because of concerns about neglect.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said the Government had learned lessons and was hopeful the recommendations in a ministerial report by former Ombudsman Mel Smith would improve the country's child abuse record.
Mr. McVicar said the Judge must now be
added to the 25 agencies that had contributed to this
tragedy.
“This Judge had an opportunity to send a
loud clear message, 15 years at least, that New Zealand will
not tolerate this type of offending but failed to do
so.”
“The Government can get as many reports as it
likes but until Judges are held to account for the
disastrous consequences of their actions nothing will
change.”
ENDS