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December 01, 2023 at 2:05 PM

1 News: New govt set to scrap parts of Oranga Tamariki reform

The new government is set to scrap a law that ensures Māori babies who are removed from unsafe homes remain in the care of their wider whānau.

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The Spinoff: Stripping child protection law of Tiriti provisions would be huge step backwards

What the new government is proposing is highly regressive and likely to cause harm to Māori children and families, writes Luke Fitzmaurice-Brown. But it will be fought every step of the way, and decolonisation efforts will continue regardless.

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Stuff: How we can all support men to live a life without violence

OPINION: Family harm is a significant issue in New Zealand. We have one of the highest rates of family violence in the OECD.

Police statistics show 175,573 family harm investigations were recorded in 2021/22. While the number of offences remained unchanged, this is a 47% increase in investigations since 2017.

It is often the extreme or horrific acts of family violence, such as the recent death of baby Ru that make headlines. So, it can be easy to think of family violence as something perpetrated by others, or by people you don’t mix with.

But family violence is more than physical harm. It includes behaviour that is coercive or controlling and causes cumulative harm. Police define family violence as physical, sexual and or psychological abuse within domestic relationships.

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Newshub: Starship doctor speaks out about child abuse in New Zealand, plea to new government

In a job where he's faced with unimaginable horror on a daily basis, a Starship Hospital doctor is remarkably positive - particularly when speaking about the resilience of children. 

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Scoop: Westpac NZ Steps Up Efforts To Stop Abusive Payments

Press Release: Westpac New Zealand

Westpac NZ has updated its banking terms and conditions to help protect customers from abusive language in payments.

Today is International Economic Abuse Awareness Day, and Westpac NZ Manager of Customer Vulnerability and Financial Inclusion Louisa Brock says the update makes it clear to customers that derogatory or abusive language won’t be tolerated.

“Unfortunately, we do see people using the ‘reference’ field of payments to send unpleasant messages to payees,” Ms Brock says.

“We often find this kind of offensive language on very small payments of one cent or one dollar. The perpetrator may already be blocked from contacting their victim through social media or other channels, so they’re using payments to harass them.”

Ms Brock says offensive messages are also sometimes attached to child support payments.

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Newshub: Top lawyer says mandatory minimum sentencing for murder in New Zealand would create miscarriages of justice

One of New Zealand's top criminal defence lawyers has warned of miscarriages of justice if the Government chooses to implement murder rankings in our justice system.

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NZ Herald: Leading entertainment figure case in Rotorua: Woman speaks out about attack

• Woman indecently assaulted by leading entertainment figure says the court process was worse than the crime itself and cross-examination was ‘horrible’ and made her feel like the defendant
• She says she would not want to go through the court experience again
• Victims advocate Louise Nicholas encourages victims to always come forward

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RNZ: 'No voice': Protecting children's rights in the Pacific

More action is needed to stop the rights of children in the Pacific being violated, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child chair Ann Marie Skelton says.

More action is needed to stop the rights of children in the Pacific being violated, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child chair Ann Marie Skelton says.

Last week, child rights stakeholders from around the Pacific met in Apia and said child abuse is not the Pacific way.

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