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May 04, 2017 at 6:14 PM

New Zealand rape survivors, in their own words (WATCH)

What do rape survivors think about the New Zealand justice system? How do they think we should address victim blaming and Kiwi rape culture? In a video collaboration between Frame News, Wrestler and The Spinoff, launched today to mark Rape Awareness Week, seven rape survivors talk candidly about their experiences. Here Frame News’ Kim Vinnell introduces the project.

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Police release educational videos on sexual assault

It needs to be active, it needs to be sought and it needs to happen when both parties are in a state that they can consent.

That's the message behind a new video released by New Zealand Police in an attempt to address low rates of sexual assault reporting.

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More funding from govt for vulnerable children, families

Vulnerable children and their families will receive extra support in this month's Budget.

The government has made the early announcement in Wellington, saying it is expanding its home visiting programme Family Start.

Prime Minister Bill English said just over $28 million would go to Family Start so it could help 570 more families.

A further $40m would support more children with behavioural and communication problems.

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Why New Zealand is failing its kids

In the past 25 years, the number of children living in income poverty has doubled. In Newsroom’s ongoing “watchdog” series, the man charged with protecting kids' rights explains what we’re doing wrong and why it was a cop-out for our former Prime Minister to say the problem could not be measured.

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It's never your fault, it's not your shame - sexual violence survivor speaks out

Claire was raped.

Not just once, but over and over again.

She was raped by a man who lived in her home - a man she had trusted.

Now, she is sharing her story because she wants to lift the lid on sexual violence in New Zealand and help other survivors find their voice.

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Police are telling rape victims their hands are tied if the accused denies it

Some police officers are telling sexual assault victims that if their attacker claims it was consensual, charges are unlikely to be laid.

Several women spoken to by Stuff as part of an investigation into the way police handle sexual assault and rape cases say they were told in the early stages of the investigation that a denial by the accused was likely to prove fatal to a prosecution.

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Kathryn McPhillips: Be careful how you talk about women

Recently a child sex offender, Darren Jolly, was finally jailed for breaching his extended supervision order. A high risk offender, Jolly was caught spending time with someone under 16. It took him breaching his order 21 times for him to go back to prison.

That's just one example of how our criminal justice system fails to fulfil its role in stopping sexual violence.

At what point do children's rights to be safe count more than the rights of adult offenders?

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Tips for the media on reporting rape and domestic violence homicides

When a woman is killed by her husband, it is not love and it is not an isolated event.

The killing is about power, control and regarding the woman as his possession.

It is not an isolated event, because it is something that happens in every country on the planet and has done so for thousands of years.

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Pre-school teacher testifies, denies several allegations

A pre-school teacher accused of of assaulting children in her care has taken the stand in court.

Lynn Euphemia Abraham, 59, is on trial at the Auckland District Court after denying 11 charges of assault against nine children at Bright Minds Childcare Centre in Auckland.

Earlier on Wednesday, a witness said Abraham had told her she needed to wash out a young boy's mouth with soap because she needed to follow through with a threat, a court has heard.

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Vodafone announces Family Violence policy to support team

MEDIA RELEASE - Vodafone has today announced it is taking steps to support all team members and their families impacted by family violence.

From today, any of Vodafone’s 3,000 workers affected by family violence will be eligible for a range of practical support, including up to 10 additional days of paid leave per year.

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Few schools have enough resources for mental health

Teen suicide and depression drops by two thirds in schools with good health services - but only one in 10 has that level of resourcing, research shows.

The research showed that incidences of depression dropped from 14.2 percent to 4.7 percent if a school had a fully-resourced comprehensive health service. Emotional behaviour problems fell from 13 to 4 percent, and suicide attempts from 5.6 to 2 percent.

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How to be a No Matter What adult: a high school counsellor on what teenagers need from us all

It’s harder to be a teenager today than ever before. So how can you as a parent help? By continuing to show up and support your teen, even when they seem hellbent on pushing you away, says Louisa Woods.

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St Patrick’s Silverstream parent: handling of school sexual harassment a ‘spectacular moral failure’

Two women teachers who were sexually harassed by male students have resigned following ‘considerable distress’. Here a parent writes of her dismay at the way the college has dealt with the incident and the message it sends to young men.

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What Broadchurch got right (and then very wrong) about rape

The latest season of Broadchurch has been applauded for its nuanced handling of sexual violence in a way seldom seen on television. Charlotte Graham looks at what the show did right, and what it got very, very wrong.

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Senior police officer stood down over sex abuse investigation

Detectives are due to interview a woman who complained she was harassed and sexually abused by a senior Northland police officer.

It is understood the officer has been stood down from his duties pending the outcome of a criminal investigation, although that was not confirmed by police.

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'Stealthing' is the alarming new sex trend where men remove condoms during sex without consent

An alarming new study released this week explores a practice called stealthing - where men remove condoms during sex without their partner's consent - and the online communities that encourage this behaviour.

"Non-consensual condom removal during sexual intercourse exposes victims to physical risks of pregnancy and disease and is experienced by many as a grave violation of dignity and autonomy," states the study, published in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law.

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