Weekly Media Roundup

May 25, 2017 at 4:22 PM

$37.2m to reduce family violence

Press Release – New Zealand Government

Budget 2017 invests $37.2 million of operating funding to reduce the harm caused by family violence, Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley say.

$22.4 million will extend the Integrated Safety Response (ISR) pilots for another two years.

Govt backtracks on data-for-funding proposal

Social service providers will no longer need to hand over the private details of their clients to the government until a new data protection policy is in place.

The government had said it would only give funding to providers if they handed over client names, birth dates, ethnicity and the personal details of any dependants.

Alfred Ngaro on community provider comments: 'I own my words'

Associate Social Housing Minister Alfred Ngaro says his greatest regret after making controversial comments about community providers is letting down his Cabinet colleagues.

Mr Ngaro said he did not offer to resign after the comments, which he made at a National Party regional conference, and acknowledged he was fortunate to still have the backing of the Prime Minister.

Despite what he said, Mr Ngaro insisted government ministers did not make decisions based on agencies' political views, and he regretted creating that impression.

A pathway to safety - protecting victims of domestic violence

New Zealand Police are called to a family violence incident every five and a half minutes. One in three women experience violence in an intimate relationship during their life. But when your home is unsafe and your violent partner is controlling your every move, how do you escape?

Green MP Jan Logie’s Domestic Violence Victims Protection Bill intends to provide a pathway to safety (or at least remove a roadblock), by providing victims of domestic violence with up to ten days leave from work to help them to better their situation.

It’s a member’s bill, so it’s not government policy and has a less certain path to becoming law. But in March it flew over the first (and frequently fatal hurdle), by passing its first reading and being referred to a select committee for consideration.

Ms Logie, as the bill’s sponsor appeared before the Justice and Electoral Committee this week to brief them on the bill and to answer questions.

Alfred Ngaro didn't consider offering resignation over remarks

Cabinet Minister Alfred Ngaro didn't consider offering his resignation after fall out from his comments threatening to cut funding to a community group.

Labour leader Andrew Little has stepped up criticism of Ngaro, saying the Pacific Peoples and Community and Voluntary Sector Minister had showed a "total lack of remorse" and he should be dismissed by Prime Minister Bill English.

"I think that is worrying and I think it is a question of Bill English's leadership that he take appropriate action on that," Little said today.

What you need to know about ‘stealthing’

Until recently, I couldn’t put a name on what had happened to me. Turns out, I had been “stealthed” - a term used to describe when a man stealthily removes a condom without his sexual partner’s knowledge or consent.

A quick Google search reveals online forums of men boasting about their stealthing exploits. Some say they are motivated by increased physical pleasure; others by the “thrill of degradation” and a belief they have a right to “spread their seed”.

Victims tell of a disempowering, demeaning violation of a sexual agreement and their rights.

The sex “trend” is beginning to test legal systems around the world.

Early puberty linked to the poverty trap

Early puberty is "profoundly" more likely to strike disadvantaged children than those from a wealthy home, new research has shown.

Professor Melissa Wake, an Auckland University paediatrician involved in the study, said major hormonal changes at a young age helped fuel the poverty cycle.

"Early puberty may be one of the ways in which social disadvantage gets under the skin and influences children's later life chances, both in terms of economic prosperity and health," she said.

Budget 2017: Time to recognise children as citizens

This is Budget week, and we have asked six experts at the University of Auckland and Victoria University to tell us what they think should be included. Today, Victoria University's Professor David Crabbe and Professor Carmen Dalligive their view.

Almost all of CYF report relating to child's death blanked out

It is outrageous Child Youth and Family has blanked out a crucial report relating to the death of a boy, his family says.

The boyfriend of the Southland toddler's mother was charged with murdering him in October 2015 but was later found dead in custody.

In late February, RNZ asked Child Youth and Family, since replaced by Oranga Tamariki, for the risk assessment report done by social workers on the boyfriend.

MPs will be responsible for deaths if they don't act, says group petitioning for mental health inquiry

Mental health services were failing patients and MPs would be held responsible if they did not act, a Parliamentary Committee has been told by a suicide prevention group.

Life Matters Trust chair Corinda Taylor appeared before the Health Select Committee on Wednesday to present a petition calling for an inquiry into the mental health sector - the second in a month.

"There's an unprecedented agreement between families, patients and the workforce, that mental health services are broken," she said.

"You will all be held responsible for letting our people down."

First Pacific framework for suicide prevention launched

A Tonga academic says recording the stories of Tongan families who lost a family member to suicide has been a difficult task.

Heilala Malu is the first system to specifically focus on suicide prevention among Tongan youth in New Zealand.

Auckland University of Technology graduate student, 'Aulola Fuka-Lino, says she hopes it helps lift the taboo on suicide in the Tongan community.

Dr David Lim trial: Man being treated for dislocated finger woke up with his trousers off

A young man with a dislocated finger who saw Dr David Lim was brought to tears as he described the doctor allegedly putting his hand down his pants as he lay under sedation.

Hastings doctor David Kang Huat Lim, 41, is on trial by jury before Judge Geoff Rea in the Napier District Court. He faces 13 charges: five of stupefying and eight of indecent assault.

The Crown says Lim sedated four men, aged between 18 and 30, so he could sexually assault them. Crown prosecutor Steve Manning said he gave the men the sedative Midazolam for minor injuries that did not require sedation, and he told their family members and nurses that he needed to treat them alone.

Guilty verdict for gran in hot car death case

A grandmother charged with manslaughter over the death of her grandson who was left in a hot car has been found guilty.

The jury delivered the verdict at the High Court in Rotorua on Tuesday.

Donna Parangi, eight-month-old Isaiah Neil's maternal grandmother, had earlier pleaded not guilty to his manslaughter when her trial began in the High Court in Rotorua last week.

Robert Peter Leslie Kelly jailed for injuries to 5-month-old baby son

A man who tried to force feed, and then shook a 5-month-old baby, has been sent to jail.

Robert Peter Leslie Kelly, 31, who was separated from the baby's mother, was left in charge of his son while she went to pick up her older children.

When the mother returned to the house she was concerned for the baby, who had pin prick red spots on him.

She took him to a medical centre and was sent on to hospital.

Men to talk masculinity after doco in Te Puke

Masculinity will take centre stage in Te Puke this evening.

Te Puke It's Not OK campaigners against family violence are holding a public screening of award-winning American documentary The Mask You Live In.

It deals with the socialisation of boys to hide or reject parts of themselves that don't fit within narrow definitions of masculinity, and how it affects their lives.

After the screening there will be a panel discussion and question and answer session with local dads. Some are community leaders and role models, while others deal with family violence as part of their jobs.

Brutally bashed: Jess Setu's night of horror

This is how Jess Setu looks this week. But about a year ago it was a different story - she was brutally attacked by her estranged husband Lealofi Setu with a piece of wood in what has been described as a shocking case of domestic violence. Jess told Andrew King her story.

Turning up the heat on housing

The housing shortage surged to the top of the news agenda this week with political promises of more new homes in a hurry, and a housing minister lashing out at charities and the media.

The recently-appointed associate social housing minister Alfred Ngaro made headlines at a regional National Party conference last weekend when he suggested critics of his government might find it hard to get public money in future.

He also criticised groups working on emergency housing and singled out The Salvation Army for orchestrating a media campaign on homelessness.

Woman reveals abuse by love of her life

What do you do when the person you considered the love of your life turns out to be physically, verbally and financially abusive?

This was the reality for Australian mum-of-two Clarissa*, who has chosen to share her harrowing story to raise awareness of just how devastating domestic violence can be.

Principals and experts support Labour's call for nurses in all high schools

Putting nurses in schools would mean students are getting the mental health help they need before they reach crisis point, an expert says.

National director of Training and Development Services Barbara Docherty has done research through Auckland University on trained nurses in schools, and is a clinical lecturer in behavioural health.

She supports Jacinda Ardern's calls for a nurse in every secondary school in a bid to lower youth suicide rates, but only if those nurses had the right training.

Manawatu community calls to stamp out domestic violence

Community groups are calling for people to step up and stop family violence in Manawatu.

About 40 people took part in workshops about family violence on Thursday as part of a violence education day, run by the Manawatu Abuse Intervention Network (MAIN).

American childhood sexual abuse survivor holds free public seminars in Auckland

A sexual childhood abuse survivor hopes that sharing his story will help change the mindset of other sexually abused Kiwi males.

Greg Holtmeyer, 51, of Missouri in the United States, is holding a closed group and a public seminar on male sexual abuse at Auckland's Unitec in Mt Albert from May 29 to 30.

New Zealand Police Data shows 624 cases of male sexual assault and related offences were reported last year.

Metiria Turei on the Greens’ Budget for All Mothers

Yesterday the Green Party announced a major policy platform aimed at parents and children in New Zealand. In her own words, Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei explains the Budget for All Mothers.

Man jailed for sex crimes, mother also charged

The partner of a Napier mother charged under new child abuse laws has been sentenced to eight years and five months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to sexually abusing her daughter for six years.

The Napier man, who cannot be named as it would identify the victim, appeared before Judge Tony Adeane this morning in the Napier District Court to be sentenced on five counts of unlawful sexual connection, one of rape, two of indecent assault and two for sexual connection with a young person.

It is believed the mother is one of the first to be charged under new child abuse laws that involve being a member of the same household as her daughter knowing she was at risk of sexual assault and rape but failing to take reasonable steps to protect her.

Rachel MacGregor has had enough of the media’s bullshit

She is neither plaintiff nor defendant in the current Colin Craig trial - so why can’t the media leave his former press secretary alone?

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Weekly Media Roundup

May 25, 2017 at 4:22 PM

$37.2m to reduce family violence

Govt backtracks on data-for-funding proposal

Alfred Ngaro on community provider comments: 'I own my words'

A pathway to safety - protecting victims of domestic violence

Alfred Ngaro didn't consider offering resignation over remarks

What you need to know about ‘stealthing’

Early puberty linked to the poverty trap

Budget 2017: Time to recognise children as citizens

Almost all of CYF report relating to child's death blanked out

MPs will be responsible for deaths if they don't act, says group petitioning for mental health inquiry

First Pacific framework for suicide prevention launched

Dr David Lim trial: Man being treated for dislocated finger woke up with his trousers off

Guilty verdict for gran in hot car death case

Robert Peter Leslie Kelly jailed for injuries to 5-month-old baby son

Men to talk masculinity after doco in Te Puke

Brutally bashed: Jess Setu's night of horror

Turning up the heat on housing

Woman reveals abuse by love of her life

Principals and experts support Labour's call for nurses in all high schools

Manawatu community calls to stamp out domestic violence

American childhood sexual abuse survivor holds free public seminars in Auckland

Metiria Turei on the Greens’ Budget for All Mothers

Man jailed for sex crimes, mother also charged

Rachel MacGregor has had enough of the media’s bullshit