The Swamp Report: October 2012

16 October 2012

Help for rape victims under threat

An article from Stuff by Kirsty Johnston

Rape and sexual assault victims in Auckland may lose access to the city's only 24-hour helpline due to a funding shortfall.
The HELP Foundation will be forced to lay off specialist staff and cut services after the Government refused it $200,000 to keep the line going, spokeswoman Aimee Stockenstroom said. News of the shortfall came despite a commitment from the Government to work closely with HELP to establish a sustainable telephone service for the future in December 2011.
"For victims of sexual assault and rape, the potential to suffer devastating mental health consequences is high and early intervention must be seen as a survivor's right," Stockenstroom said.
HELP takes about 12,000 calls a year from victims of sexual assault and rape, or around 250 calls a week. Stockenstroom said one in five women were sexually assaulted or raped in their lifetime.
"It is not ethical, and shocking for us to think in the middle of the night when the terror can be the most overwhelming, there will no longer be someone there at the end of the phone."
Green MP Jan Logie said it was appalling it had only taken the Government a year to renege on its commitment to the helpline. Logie said while sexual violence reporting rates were increasing, the Government was not reflecting that in its funding, despite widespread acknowledgement that the services were vital.
"In 2009, the Taskforce for Action for Sexual Abuse identified the urgent need to increase funding to support services," she said.
"This has not happened and now even the current meagre resources are being reduced."
Previously, the help line was funded by ACC, however that was axed in May 2009. Interim funding was provided until last year, when a cross-agency group comprising the Ministries of Justice, Social Development, Health and ACC was set up to discuss a long-term solution.
Stockenstroom said HELP wanted to continue to work with the Government but simply could not continue without enough money.
More information can be found on www.helpauckland.org.nz.
The foundation is also taking donations at any branch of ASB bank. A donations account will run from 12 October 2012 through to 26 October 2012. The account number is ASB: 12 3205 0175 043 00.

05 October 2012

ACC reined in over waiver

An article from Stuff

The Privacy Commissioner's office has again reined in ACC after it asked clients to sign a form accepting their personal files may be lost, then claimed such a form gave it indemnity.
The waiver forms were introduced after a series of client privacy breaches, including emailing of the personal details of more than 6700 clients to claimant Bronwyn Pullar.
ACC used to send sensitive files to claimants' houses via courier. It has now asked clients to sign a contract accepting the files may not reach their destination. The form states the client accepts risks, including "non-delivery, delivery to an unauthorised person, or interception by an unauthorised person".
Outgoing ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart told TVNZ: "They need to indemnify us, just in case it does go to the wrong place and they haven't used the options we've offered them."
But the Privacy Commissioner's office contacted ACC to put him right after TVNZ approached it about the comments. Mr Stewart later said the corporation would take responsibility for its mistakes.

01 October 2012

ACC to consider individual privacy complaints

A news report from Radio New Zealand

The head of the Accident Compensation Corporation says it will consider each case of sensitive claimants whose private details were released to see whether further compensation is required.
The corporation offered in June to pay $250 to each of 200 claimants in compensation for mistakenly emailing their information to another claimant, Bronwyn Pullar.
A lawyer specialising in ACC matters, John Miller, says the offer is insulting and he intends to take action on behalf of about 100 of the claimants.
Another lawyer, Hazel Armstrong, has warned that those who seek greater damages may face a costly battle.
Ms Armstrong says they will have to prove they've suffered emotional harm because of the privacy breach.
"Possibly depending on how far ACC pushes it, they might have to show a level of significance that would have to be measured by a psychiatrist, and a psychiatrist's report can cost anything between $2000 and $7000."
ACC chief executive Ralph Stewart told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programme the $250 offered is to recognise that the corporation had made a mistake.
"If the individual concerned is not happy we want to talk to them here about that and consider their own individual position."
Claimants not satisfied with this process have the option of going to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner or the Human Rights Tribunal.
Mr Miller is confident the case is strong and says his firm will take action on a pro bono basis.
He says he will go to the Human Rights Tribunal only if negotiations with ACC and the Privacy Commissioner fail.

ACC's compensation a 'slap in the face'

A report from Newstalk ZB by Kaye Albyt

A woman who's suing ACC on behalf of her daughter who was sexually abused, says the offer of compensation is a slap in the face.
Around 100 people whose sensitive claims were mistakenly released to National Party insider Bronwyn Pullar, are suing the accident insurer. They've been offered $250 and an apology - but a woman who doesn't want to reveal her identity, says it's an insult.
She says it was hard to tell her daughter what had happened:
"I thought about it very, very carefully and was just very upfront with her and she was upset, worried about who knew what, because describing abuse is a very hard thing for anybody - especially a child I think."
The woman says ACC has to take more care in the way it deals with its clients.
"What I really want is for ACC to get their act together, tidy up the procedures and how they deal with their clients. I want them to show my daughter that they are very sorry and this is important and she does matter and remunerate her appropriately."
She says she has no confidence that things have improved at ACC.

© 2012 The Radio Network

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbnat/1855189499-acc-s-compensation-a--slap-in-the-face-