Services deficient

An article from the Northern Outlook by Cate Broughton

Services for victims of sexual violence in Waimakariri are completely inadequate, a Rangiora Community Board submission says. The board has made the claims in a submission to a parliamentary select committee inquiry into funding for specialist sexual violence social services.
Access to Accident Compensation Corporation-funded counselling by professionals with specialist training to treat victims of sexual abuse needed to improve. Victims of sexual violence in the growing region of about 50,000 people are served by two part-time ACC-registered counsellors, one of whom does not treat people under the age of 17, the submission said.
Christchurch has 92 ACC-registered counsellors available.
Police crime statistics for 2012-13 show there was a 34 per cent rise in sexual assaults from the previous year and a recent coroner’s report highlighted a jump in suicides in North Canterbury over the past year.
"While we accept that the bigger cities have the population that justifies a high proportion of funding, do not underestimate the quantity of sexual violence in rural areas. Rural funding must be increased," the submission said.
The Monarch Centre in Christchurch provides counselling services for victims of sexual assault but its three part-time counsellors are fully booked, services coordinator Madeline Bass Podger said. She had "no doubt" that more people would come forward for help, if the services were available locally.
"The thing is, sexual abuse is a hidden issue because there aren’t the facilities to deal with it."
Rangiora Community Board member Peter Allen said the board heard from Ms Bass Podger and Rural Canterbury primary health organisation worker Leanne Liddell on the extent of the problem in the region and wanted to make a case to the select committee inquiry.
"We feel there are particular issues in North Canterbury that warrant attention and needs that aren’t the same as Christchurch," Mr Allen said.
Board member and family education adviser Sharon Stirling said people who have been raped or abused needed local options for specialist care.
"If someone has finally come to the point of discussing something like rape or sexual abuse, their energy levels can be low, they are quite exhausted and having to go through different services, it’s not easy."
The submission calls for more services for victims of sexual violence in the proposed North Canterbury health hub and for longer-term, consistent funding of programmes.
A spokeswoman for ACC said the organisation was aware of the issue and was aiming to "address counselling shortages" next year.

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