16 January 2012

Significant Support for Official Inquiry into Child Abuse

Family First has released a poll which shows significant support for a child abuse Commission of Inquiry. Family First has been calling for a Royal Commission of Inquiry since 2007, and have repeated their call as a result of the investigation into the Whanganui child abuse case. There have been 10 death in the last 18 months.

In the poll of 1,000 people undertaken by Curia Market Research in March 2011, respondents were asked “Do you think an independent Commission of Inquiry into the wider causes of child abuse and family violence in NZ should be established by the Government?”

Two out of three (65%) said yes, 27% said no, and the remainder (8%) were either unsure or refused to answer. Women and younger respondents were most supportive of a commission of inquiry.

“We have quite rightly had Commission of Inquiries into the Pike river tragedy, the collapse of buildings and consequent loss of life in the Christchurch earthquake – yet no inquiry into one of the greatest and ongoing tragedies facing the country. The issue of child abuse deserves a high priority total focus which a Commission would give,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“Over the past 30 years we have allowed a succession of policies to diminish the importance of family structure and marriage. We have watched as politicians have given adults the right to silence, bail and parole while the rights of children to be safe have been ignored. We have allowed children to be raised in homes with an unacceptable level of drug abuse, family dysfunction and physical and emotional harm, while tip-toeing around the issues of our binge drinking culture and half-hearted response to drugs.”

“The Inquiry also needs to include a look at the effect of long-term welfare dependency, post-natal care, and the urgent need for an independent CYF Complaints Authority so that good families are not victims of misguided policies such as the anti-smacking law and resources are not wasted targeting families not at-risk,” says Mr McCoskrie.

The poll has a margin of error of +/- 3.2%

ENDS

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