August 07, 2017
Family court system under fire
There's a call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the New Zealand Family Court system.
It comes from the Backbone Collective and Community in Action, a coalition of women survivors of violence.
The collective this year interviewed more than 500 women about their experiences of the court.
Spokesperson Ninakaye Taanetinorau for the Community in Action group says their experiences of violence and abuse were not believed or were minimized, their evidence was struck out, they were blamed for the violence and abuse, and in many cases their children were taken from them and put back in abusive environments.
She says the family court views domestic violence as a family issue rather than a crime.
"It's all about a victim having to prove she is being abused as opposed to an abusive person proving they are not abusive. As a result it is very difficult to get a protection order and when those orders are breached, ie, they are being attacked and abused still, they are not being taken seriously by the police, Ms Taanetinorau says.
The Backbone Collective is encouraging wahine to sign an open letter to parliament calling for the Royal Commission.
NINAKAYE TAANETINORAU INTERVIEW
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