16 September 2011

Media Release

Crimes Act Amendment - Crime to Fail to Report Child Abuse

Parliament is to be congratulated for passing the Crimes Amendment Bill [No 2] which now makes it a criminal offence to fail to report child abuse. The Bill creates a new offence of failing to take reasonable steps to protect a child from the risk of death, grievous bodily harm or sexual assault. An offender may be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

It is pleasing that the government Bill had the full support of the government members and the Labour caucus. The legislation is timely as New Zealand has one of the highest rates of child abuse in the OECD. All New Zealanders will welcome this important legislation to protect our most vulnerable children. We remember those poor children who suffered appalling abuse before they were killed, Lilly Bing, Nia Glassie, Mikara Riti and the three month old twins Chris and Cru Kahui. Every year twelve children die from appalling physical abuse. Their names are engraved on our minds, may we never forget these beautiful children

New Zealanders are deeply ashamed of our child abuse record, it is a terrible burden on the conscience of the nation. As a society we experience no difficulty in recognising child abuse and responding with horror, sorrow, grief and a determination to stop the abuse of the innocent and defenceless children.

Why is it then that as a nation that is implacably opposed to child abuse we allow each day in this country the equivalent of two classrooms of children to be violently dismembered and killed in abortions in our Hospitals' sanctioned and funded by the government. It is also violence against the mother.

This is the ultimate in child abuse, the unborn child terrified, its mouth open in a silent scream, heart beating furiously as it frantically endeavours to avoid the suction tube of the abortionist paid by the State and determined to terminate the life of the child.

We all have a duty to defend life, it is always wrong to kill the innocent. As a nation we are suffering from a crippling and destructive blindness, a refusal to acknowledge the truth that we have a duty to protect the lives of all children, born and unborn, they are all members of our human family and God's precious children. When will Parliament act to protect our unborn?

The new law requires that citizens have a duty to report cases of child abuse, to whom do we report the violent abuse of children in the womb?

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