$320m to tackle family and sexual violence in New Zealand

Sunday, 19 May 2019

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces $320m for family and sexual violence support services.

Changes to the court system, better support services for victims and an ad campaign aimed at stopping violence form part of a $320 million programme to reduce family and sexual offending.

The Government's Wellbeing Budget 2019 package will see funding allocated to allow victims to give video statements in court to reduce trauma, while lawyers will get specialist training on how to deal with sexual violence cases.

Money will go to services dedicated to improving the wellbeing of male victims and survivors of sexual violence through support services.

Funding will also be given for a kaupapa Māori response to sexual violence.

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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Parliamentary Under-Secretary Jan Logie made the pre-Budget announcement on Sunday.

'Every year about one million New Zealanders are affected by family and sexual violence, including almost 300,000 children. This is something I know New Zealand is ashamed of and the Government is taking a major step forward in fixing on the budget,' Ardern said.

'My goal has always been for New Zealand to be the best place in the world to be a child and that means supporting parents and communities to ensure children grow up in secure homes free from violence.'

'Ultimately we won't make a long-term difference in eliminating family violence and sexual violence from New Zealand unless we start breaking that cycle,' she said.

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'We know that those who have experienced violence themselves, it's very hard to turn their lives around and the future lives of their next generation unless we deal with the violence they've experienced.'

The announcement follows publication of Stuff's The Homicide Report - which found 134 women - an average of nine a year - were killed by a partner or ex-partner in the past 15 years.

Responding to the findings last week, Ardern said New Zealand's record of family violence was 'horrific' and 'shocking' and addressing the issue was a Government priority.

The $320 million announced on Sunday, made up of $311.4 million new operating funding and $9.5 million capital funding, sits across eight Government departments.

It promises to provide one million New Zealanders help through the Integrated Safety Response sites in Christchurch and Waikato, which support victims and offenders upon release from prison.

However, the initiative will also support the safety of adults and children experiencing family harm and violence, and work with people that perpetrate violence to prevent further harm.

A further 350,000 people will be supported by Whāngaia Ngā Pā Harakeke and Whiria Te Muka family harm prevention services in Gisborne, Counties Manukau in Auckland, and Kaitaia in Northland.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Green Party MP Jan Logie made the announcement in Maunkau, south Auckland.

Money will also go to 24/7 sexual violence crisis support services for 2,800 children and young people a year, and 7,700 more adult victims and survivors from 2020/21.

A major advertising campaign and intervention programmes to help reduce violence occurring will be funded, along with more training for District Health Board workers to provide effective screening and referrals for family violence.

Jan Logie, Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice, said the package 'lays the foundations for a violence-free Aotearoa New Zealand'.

On Sunday morning, Logie said there wouldn't be an immediate drop in the statistics due to the funding.

'We're not going to see it in a year or two years. This is going to take a while. My absolute drive is making this [happen] in my lifetime.

'Considering the size of this problem - a million New Zealanders right now are affected my family violence and sexual violence - there is no one magical solution to this. It's going to take sustained hard work.'

Merran Lawler, kaiarahi and national advocate of National Network of Stopping Violence Services, said the package's focus on prevention was positive as it provided opportunities to intervene earlier and address the intergenerational patterns of family violence.

Women's Refuge chief executive Dr Anj Jury said while Sunday's announcement was the first significant investment in prevention, violence prevention was a long-term proposition.

'In the meantime, the budget will not assist the women and children who need a safe place when they leave their abusers,' Jury said.

'Essentially, safety and security do not happen immediately when prevention and education programmes are implemented, it can be potentially a generation or more until prevention efforts begin to bear fruit, which meant women and children still require assistance now and that needles assaults and deaths will continue.'