The safety and protection of children must come first
Hon Paula Bennett
Minister for Social Development
21 December 2011
The safety and protection of children must come first
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today released the Ministerial Inquiry into the abuse of a nine year old girl and other matters relating to the welfare, safety and protection of children in New Zealand.
“The Inquiry focused on a deeply saddening case of appalling abuse and also more broadly at how agencies deal with at risk families and children.”
Today this child’s mother was sentenced to seven and a half years for 25 cases of abuse against her daughter.
Sentencing of the child’s father has been deferred, but I have been advised releasing this report will not affect the sentencing outcome.
“This child was subjected to cruel and barbaric abuse from her own parents in an unusual case where the mother manipulated many into thinking she had her child’s best interests at heart,” says Ms Bennett.
Lord Laming said in his 2003 report to the British Parliament on the murder of Victoria Climbie that, “adults who deliberately exploit the vulnerability of children can behave in devious and menacing ways” and they “will often go to great lengths to hide their activities”.
“I believe that is what we have seen in this case,” says Ms Bennett.
"It’s important to remember the inquiry went wider than one case, so it can’t be assumed recommendations relate directly to the case of this young girl.”
The Ministerial Inquiry, conducted by former ombudsman Mel Smith, contains 13 recommendations.
Recommendations include:
• Better
information sharing
• New CYF liason workers for
schools
• Mandatory reporting of abuse and
neglect
• Urgent research on kinship care
• Multi
agency meetings, led by CYF
• Proceeding with
amendments to Crimes Act and Privacy Act
• A new Child
Protection Court
“The Green Paper on Vulnerable Children directly relates to the Ministerial Inquiry and raises issues like mandatory reporting and information sharing.”
“While we couldn’t release this Inquiry after it’s completion in March, the work has not stopped and most recommendations have been addressed.”
In the last year Government action for vulnerable children include:
• The Green Paper on Vulnerable
Children
• More social workers in schools and on the
frontline
• Review of Family Start
• Failure to
Protect Bill passed
• Review of Family
Court
• Working paediatrician appointed as Children’s
Commissioner
• Children in Care
package
• Agreement signed between CYF, Ministry of
Health and Police
• Information Sharing Bill
introduced
• Privacy Information Sharing Bill
introduced
Child protection measures initiated by National since 2008:
• The Never, Ever Shake a Baby
Campaign
• Supporting Auckland District Health
Board’s shaken baby prevention pilot
• The NGO First
Response Trial
• Placed CYF social workers into
hospitals
• Multi-disciplinary meetings before abused
child leaves hospital
• Better data and monitoring
systems
• Independent Experts Forum
“This Government is focused on protecting children and we’re committed to doing the hard work to make a difference to child abuse,” says Ms Bennett.
“I can assure New Zealanders, we continue to introduce new measures across government to help keep children safe,” says Ms Bennett.
Full Ministerial Inquiry (the Smith report) and accompanying material available at wwwbeehive.govt.nz
ENDS
Scoop copies of documents:
Ministry__response_to_Mel_Smith_reportl.pdf
Appendix_to_Chief_Executive_Report.pdf
Mother_letter_to_PM.pdf
Smith_report.pdf
Minister_letter_to_Mother.pdf
Teacher_letter_to_Prime_Minister.pdf
Minister_letter_to_teacher.pdf
Announcements_affecting_vulnerable_children_since_January_2011.doc