Looking tough on crime won’t solve Domestic Violence in NZ
New family violence offences to be created
New family violence offences including assault on a family member will be created as part of more than 50 changes to the current Domestic Violence Act.
However, the Government has declined to make coercive control and psychological violence stad-alone family violence offences, saying evidence from Britain where such offences existed was they had not proven as effective as hoped for.
Prime Minister John Key has announced a raft of changes in a speech to justice sector groups at Te Papa in Wellington.
In a strongly-worded speech, he directly addressed family violence perpetrators.
“To the perpetrators of this misery I say this – recognise what is going on in your home and take responsibility for it.
“A good father, a good step-father and a good man does not hit, intimidate or control his spouse, partner, ex-partner or her children. The same goes for women who are abusers.
“If you act in a violent and controlling way, you can change this behaviour. Own the problem. Nothing will get better until you do. Ask for help. There is no shame in that.”
This is tough on crime rhetoric and utterly meaningless. It will play well with the frightened electorate who thanks to the media are in a perpetual state of fear with their focus on the worst details of abuse for ratings and not social debate.
This fear and anger gets manipulated by Politicians and hence a raft of new laws that will do little to stop the tsunami of domestic abuse that is exploding beneath the veneer of civil society.
No examination of our alcoholism and its availability. No examination of the mental health service underfunding that fuels so much of this abuse. No extra funding to build men’s shelters so that men who are being abusive have a place to go to. No mention of our damaged toxic masculinity, no mention of our rape culture that saw a well known Rugby team given the ‘boys will be boys’ wink over their abuse of a dancer.
Just a bunch of extra laws that will imprison more men.
The only people happy with this will be the Private Prison at Wiri. Did ACC who have 30% stake holdings in Serco’s prison have a hand in shaping these laws?
Watching Paul Henry scream this morning about filthy dirty parents who abuse their children, and why can’t we just take those children away is made grimly hilarious when you consider children in State care are more at risk of abuse than if left in the Community.
We have a terrible culture of domestic abuse, but none of this bluster and tough on crime posturing will do a thing to stop men from lashing out and damaging so many of their own whanau.
NZ is being conned again.
“NZ is being conned again.”
Exactly Martyn,
We are all being played and only a free speech media we somehow get up and running will save us from more destruction of our lives and minds.
“If you act in a violent and controlling way, you can change this behaviour. Own the problem. Nothing will get better until you do. Ask for help. There is no shame in that.”
Strong words from the ponytail-pulling hypocrite-in-chief.
GH.The “ponytail-pulling hypocrite-in-chief” you refer to is a rich lister so the rules don’t apply to him. After all we don’t want to damage their precious careers do we?
Oops sorry, overlooked that vital point 🙂
With full approval of the local council, prominently displayed around town are billboards advertising a coming event in which two men will get into a ring and attempt to beat one another senseless: I don’t recall the exact names but one is described as ‘Butcher’ and the other as ‘Crusher’ (or something like that).
With full approval of the local council, prominently displayed around town are billboards suggesting people vote for candidates who are known to be liars and law-breakers. One has a record of domestic violence.
If anyone thinks there is any hope for this society they are severely deluded.
Exactly Martyn- More police state mentality – more prisons – more cops and creating more fear ( and violence ) and not seeing the forest for the trees.
More funding for the wrong things instead of spending more
on education and rehab and healing and stopping a horrible cycle of violence.
Yep the Natz blew it again thinking they will be solving problems
but only making us more of a military style police state. Victims need protection and we need
to stop so much violence but they are going about it the wrong way.
There is little hope because we are funding the wrong things but then this is all part of a bigger plan dictated to us by powers above John Key and above most governments.
The tories just passed 5o new laws to address domestic violence but then they turned a blind eye to delegat viciously beating the policewomen after passing a law specifically for this purpose. The tories laws must be just for the brown people and our poor pakeha not for the rich the law applies differently to them cause they are rich.
So now the message we have received is you can assault the police but only if you are millionaire and you will only get community work but not if your poor its jail time. Something is seriously wrong here someone might need to check JK’s head to see if he has three 6’s there
Martyn;
Agree with your article and the blowing of the whistle.
Note that the women representing this NGO is very enthusiastic about the changes and almost talks the language of a salesman. A used car salesman at that and American to boot.
Putin kicked out from Russia all those NGO’s that were working against the State.
I ask readers to start recognizing some of these.
Note that it doesn’t stop here but moving on to child welfare,education,health.
Of course all the words sound good and the ever present tugging of the
emotional strings but for many their track record is the lobbying of Gvt’s to change
law that ends up being to the detriment of society.
I suspect they may even provide some text that then ends up in the law itself.
Like outside Consultants.
They set up as charities so they are tax exempt,ask for your money as a good
cause and are the ones who organize the street marches or gatherings and
gain access to the media with their messaging.
Close scrutiny of many of them show that their expenditure is but a fraction to the cause they represent with the bulk funding the salaries etc and we are in
effect paying the expenses of a virtual lobby group.
Even if we woke up stopped giving money to them you would find that they are backstopped by some foundation offshore.
They are the modern missionaries of our time and we should start recognizing them for what they really are.
Cheers.
Then maybe we would’t believe their bullshit.
Cheers.
Shark attack and dog attack increases occurring by the year.
Something in the atmosphere or food chain is creating this.
My guess its EMF’s from radiation upsetting the bio-electric fields of living organisms, pesticides, GM foods, heavy metal toxicity, or most probably a combination of the above, plus many more toxic contributors.
Watching todays TV makes me want to hit something.
Having laws on paper in statutes is one thing, holding persons accountable for breaking the law is another. How many burglaries have been resolved recently? Stuff all, so the police will be facing more options to charge people, but they are already unable to, or not willing to, do what the law enables them to do now.
Then we have had cut backs and restrictions to legal aid, so how are people going to get their justice, when they cannot get legal aid, as so many lawyers no longer bother working for the low legal aid that is available?
This is all stuff to make the government look good, so the ill informed voters will continue voting for them.