The inadequate response to sexual violence prevention

An article from Scoop by Gordon Campbell

On combatting sexual violence, the government has finally begun to undo some of the problems that were of its own making. Early in March, ACC launched the Integrated Services for Sensitive Claims scheme – a package aimed at improving the attitudes of ACC staff towards sexual violence victims, and offering them more substantive support. Hopefully, this will help to reverse the damage done with the insensitive, punitive ACC policy put in place by the incoming Key government in 2009, which in some parts of New Zealand, saw 90 per cent of sexual violence victims being turned away by ACC.
As well as this new support scheme, ACC is also increasing its annual funding of sexual violence prevention education, from a paltry $1 million to $4 million, a figure still seen as inadequate by experienced workers in the field.
In addition, Justice Minister Amy Adams has invited the Law Commission to revisit its work on possible changes to the pre-trial and courtroom procedures faced by sexual complainants. The Police however, continue to be one of the glaring problem areas. The report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority into the Police handling of the so called “Roastbusters” group in Auckland not only disagreed with the Police rationale for not initiating a prosecution under the Crimes Act – ultimately, the Police decided that a prosecution would not be in the public interest, given the young age of some of the offenders. It was a stance that completely ignored the even younger age of some of the victims.
The IPCA also faulted (as being inadequate to non-existent) the Police contact with the young men and their families. Arguably, not only was justice for the victims ill-served by the Police decision not to prosecute, but the deterrent/prevention aspect was completely neglected. In the words of the IPCA report, the Police “overlooked the importance of holding the young men accountable for their behavior, and preventing its recurrence.”
The conspicuous failure by Police over the Roastbusters incidents came despite the findings by the 2007 Commission of Inquiry into Police conduct (that had been initiated by the complaints made by Louise Nicholas). This inquiry had revealed a culture of misogyny and aberrant behaviour rife among the Police, at high levels of the Police hierarchy. So, unless the government is prepared to put some heat on the Police over its handling of sexual violence between adolescents and adults – and the subject was conspicuously absent from the Briefing to the Incoming Minister of Police in 2014 – then the concerns about sexual violence being expressed in Parliament this week will ring hollow.
Even the possible changes to pre-trial and courtroom treatment will not address the issue of prevention. As the initial Law Commission issues paper on those proposals pointed out, the approach being assessed “ does nothing to address the attitudes that led to the offending, and it accordingly fails to reduce the risk that the behaviour will recur.” It may seem both incredible and yet somehow unsurprising that – so long as some of the next America’s Cup racing is held in Auckland - the government would spend ten times the amount on that regatta than what ACC is currently putting into sexual violence prevention education.

© 2015 Scoop Media

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1504/S00002/gordon-campbell-the-inadequate-response-to-sexual-violence.htm

Appalling number of sex abuse claims

An article from Stuff by Michael Fox

Justice Minister Judith Collins says about 15,000 people a year are making ACC claims as a result of sexual abuse.
Collins told TVNZ's Q and A she was appalled by the number of people seeking counselling or other assistance as a result of the assaults and elaborated on proposed changes to the way the courts deal with such victims.
"It actually shocks me, it shocks me very deeply," she said.
"People don't have to go the police for ACC to help them but I would say to people who have been victims of sexual abuse there is help for you and that there are things that can be done," she said.
The high rate of assaults showed there needed to be a culture change. While she has ruled out specialist sexual violence courts which supporters say would make it easier for victims she said victims needed to be encouraged to come forward to shed more light on the cases which might help change attitudes.
The way sexual assault victims are dealt with by police and the courts in New Zealand has been under heavy scrutiny as a result of the so-called Roast Busters sex case. Opposition parties and rape prevention groups say the system needs to be overhauled to make it easier for victims of sexual assaults to come forward.
"Of course there is always questions going to be asked about was there something that could have been done to prevent the crime, and that's the best place obviously, to prevent it, but it's also about trying to take the blame off victims and encouraging them to come forward," she said.
"I think if more victims were able to come forward and to have their stories told, and the offenders to be confronted with that, we might have fewer people who think its alright to do this sort of thing to someone else."
Collins said she was considering some changes to court processes.
"The changes about court processes, that is a draft cabinet paper with me at the moment, and that will go to Cabinet hopefully this year for the little bit of time we have got left and then it will proceed through next year," she said.
She said many were not coming forward because it was "an incredibly humiliating thing" for victims to talk about and they did not want to keep reliving it. While she did not want to lessen the criminality of the offending one of the options presented in the Cabinet paper included restorative justice as some victims were in ongoing relationships with their attackers.
"What we know is that quite a lot of those people who do complain to police as victims of sexual assault are actually assaulted by people who are close to them, either partners, former partners, friends or family members and sometimes they don't want those victims to have to go to court they also don't want to necessarily see the accused end up in jail for up to 20 years.
"What they do want is they want abuse to stop they want the offender to confess to what they've done, to acknowledge the harm that they've caused and to help give back that person's dignity."
Collins said victims would need to be questioned as those accused of assaults needed to be able to defend themselves "because it is not inconceivable that people might be convicted wrongly of rape".
Victims worried about previous sexual history come up could be warned about the questions which might come up, she said.
"And I don't want to see miscarriages on either side."
The change would take time but there was support in New Zealand for them to be made, she said.
Collins said since the 2007 Commission of Inquiry into police misconduct relating there had been "huge improvements" in the way police dealt with victims.

© Fairfax New Zealand Ltd

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9409869/Appalling-number-of-sex-abuse-claims

Woman leads Roast Busters police case

An article from the New Zealand Herald by Anna Leask

Police up ante as detective with significant experience appointed to head multi-agency probe into scandal.
Police have upped the ante on the Roast Busters investigation, appointing a woman detective with significant experience in child sexual abuse cases to head the newly named Operation Clover and drawing on a number of government agencies.
And ACC is welcoming victims and offering support - regardless of whether they wanted to speak to police or make formal complaints.
Detective Inspector Karyn Malthus, who usually oversees all serious crime in the Auckland city district, will join the Waitemata Child Protection team, who have been investigating the Roast Busters members since a 13-year-old girl made a formal complaint against them in late 2011. Her appointment to the operation comes just days after Commissioner Peter Marshall conceded police should have handled the publicity around the underage sex scandal earlier and had repeatedly given wrong information to media about the number of victims involved.
Roast Busters is a group of predominantly West Auckland youths whose members bragged online about having sex with drunk and underage girls. Members Joseph Parker and Beraiah Hales are said to be living undercover since their names and faces were made public. It was confirmed last Friday that Tristan Burrow, the son of police Constable Craig Burrow, was associated with the group in 2011. He was interviewed by police and co-operated with the investigation, but has had no involvement since.
Police refused to answer specific questions about the investigation yesterday, including whether any new victims had come forward and whether they had spoken to any of the suspects since last week. But in a statement they said Ms Malthus would lead a multi-agency team on Operation Clover.
Detective Superintendent Andy Lovelock, called in last week to "cast a fresh set of eyes" on the case, will retain overall oversight of the investigation.
Meanwhile, ACC is urging victims to come forward to access sexual assault support including counselling to help them make a decision about whether they wish to involve police. If you would like to speak to ACC about what support is available, contact its Sensitive Claims Unit in confidence on 0800 735 566.

© 2013 APN Holdings NZ Ltd

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11155361