YACA Responds to Misleading SAVE Article

Media Release

3 July 2009

Youth Against Child Abuse (YACA) is surprised that the Nelson Mail would publish an opinion piece from Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) given that it shows such an evident lack of research or factual accuracy.

"The well-intentioned Johny O'Donnel who is the founder of SAVE states in the article that the referendum question 'is not going to reflect real public opinions'. The members of youthbased

child-abuse action group YACA believe that the current law itself does not reflect 'real public opinions', and as such should be turfed out as the polls are so clearly indicating," says YACA spokesperson Rachel Thompson.

"Johny is correct when he acknowledges that the law has 'seen a huge backlash from the public'. However further down in the article Johny writes, 'No parents have got away which child abuse... since the law came in'.

To this YACA simply responds that this was virtually the same scenario under the old law," she says. "Only 7 or 8 cases viewed as possible child abuse cases were ever excused by a jury during the life of the original Section 59 of the Crimes Act. It therefore comes as no surprise that to date no parents have got away with child abuse since the inception of the new law."

While it is true that 'there is not one parent behind bars for smacking', SAVE is ignoring the question that 83% of Kiwis are crying out to be heard, "why are parents being criminalised for giving a corrective smack?"

"YACA continues to represent the majority of Kiwi youth who believe that a yes vote will not help lower child abuse in New Zealand," she says. "Voting NO will send a clear message that we want Parliament to address the real causes of child abuse."

ENDS

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