Tragedy in Chch; could it have been avoided?

Lifetxt Trust
Media Release
11 May 2007

Tragedy in Christchurch; could it have been avoided?

Funding Stalled For Txt Based Service For Young People In Trouble

A text-based tool for young people in personal crisis, or in out of control social situations could avert future tragedy.

The Lifetxt Trust is frustrated by the apparent stall in the funding process from the government to establish a ‘hub txt service”

The service, while primarily aimed as a txt specific tool to provide advice, creates links for people in a crisis.

Lifetxt Trust Director Graham Roper said that in the Christchurch case it may have provided a completely “secret way’ of seeking advice or the assistance of the police for an out of control situation.

The proposed free to the user service has been in development for more than a year and has support from MP’s and the community in general, he said.

Funding is always an issue and in this case the proposed service, a possible world first, would give access to more that 4 million cell phone users in New Zealand.

The trust was formed to ensure that a national ‘Hub’ service was adequately funded, developed and evaluated to ensure it meet the needs of the community.

“A number of experts in the health field and of course the real experts of txt, young people, unanimously support the txt concept as an additional tool that could assist in averting a crisis,” said Mr Roper.

“The use of txt is not new to government or emergency service providers.

“Media reports indicate that in Christchurch last weekend, txt messages were used as a tool to gather the people together; surely the same tool can be used to avert tragedies such as has occurred.”

ENDS

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