Skip to main content

If CYF was Catholic, the pitchforks would be out in force

Why am I not surprised that child abuse of this magnitude is happening.

More than 70 children and young people were abused while in Child Youth and Family care last year and no central records are being kept on the abuse.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett revealed the information in Parliament today in response to a question from the Greens' Holly Walker.

Ms Bennett said that of the 71 cases of abuse - 30 were by CYF-approved caregivers and the rest by "third party'' caregivers.

"Thirteen have been prosecuted by police, the others have not. Even though they were substantial forms of abuse - they weren't at a level police were able to prosecute,'' Ms Bennett said.

Can you imagine the difference in reaction to this if the Catholic Church was involved?

"For an agency that's in the business of child protection it is astonishing that it didn't see fit to collect data on children in its own care who were subsequently abused in that care,'' she said.

Astonishing and criminal, I would have thought.  I doubt any heads will roll, however.  Unlike cases where what certain Catholic priests knew about abusers twenty years ago in Australia have made the international news.

In Australia as well, the Catholic Church has appointed a judge to lead abuse inquiry while as here in New Zealand, Owen Glenn's offer to pay for a commission of inquiry into domestic violence and child abuse, I get the impression, is being ignored by the Government.

As I said in my title, if CYFS was the Catholic Church, the pitchforks would be out in force.

Related link: Dozens of children abused while in CYF care


Comments

  1. One day, we hope CYF will be called to account for their abuse. Our experience of CYF atrocities is detailed here:
    http://bit.ly/ourNZexperience

    The document above contains comments on our experiences from a large number of experts in NZ and around the world – over 30 professors and doctorates, NZ MPs, psychologists, members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The universal reaction to these NZ atrocities is horror and outrage.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Frank, I read your account and it is very disturbing. I think we need an ombudsman type role specifically to investigate issues raised by parents in the handling of family related cases involving state intervention.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Please be respectful. Foul language and personal attacks may get your comment deleted without warning. Contact us if your comment doesn't appear - the spam filter may have grabbed it.