As investigations continue into three separate homicides, anti-violence groups are warning people to be more careful around the holiday period. The National Network for Stopping Violence Services says the holiday period is a difficult time and people should ask for help if they need it. Network manager Brian Gardner says there are steps which can […]

Christchurch police Detective Inspector Malcolm Johnston, an officer for 25 years, said yesterday witness intimidation happened in most violent-crime cases, and while the Noble/Samson situation was extreme, intimidation was not unusual. “It is very, very (common) and I know other staff have experienced similar levels. Intimidation can be as little as chocolates and flowers and […]

Manukau homes with a history of domestic violence will receive a Christmas card and a visit from police in a bid to prevent abuse during the festive season. Operation Merry Family Christmas will target up to 125 households throughout Otara, Otahuhu, Mangere, Papatoetoe, Howick and Pakuranga that police have been called to in the past […]

by Dr Felicity Goodyear-Smith The methodology of the study reported by Fanslow and Robinson (Violence against women in New Zealand: prevalence and health consequences, New Zealand Medical Journal, 2004, 117:1206) is sound. They used a rigorous randomly selected population-based cluster-sampling with interviews in Mandarin or Cantonese (2%) as well as in English. Their sample size […]

Tuvaluan overstayer Senee Niusila has been granted a reprieve, after appearing in court on charges of threatening to kill his wife. The kidney dialysis patient has been discharged without conviction. In the Waitakere District Court, Judge Philip Recordon took into account the argument that Niusila may die if he was convicted and deported to Tuvalu, […]

Male and Female Perpetrated Partner Abuse: Testing a Diathesis-Stress Model by Reena Sommer INTRODUCTION Prior to 1970, studies focusing on family violence were virtually nonexistent. The lack of research in this area seemed to imply that violence within the family was “either rare, dysfunctional or a pathology traceable to mental illness or psychopathology” (Gelles, 1979, […]

A study which found that one third of women are physically or sexually abused by their partners is part of a misleading campaign, a men’s umbrella group representative says. “The ongoing campaign seems to deny the existence of domestic violence of women against men,” Christchurch Men and Fathers’ Network facilitator, Don Rowlands, said. University of […]

National News Release 9:01am 26 November 2004 Police have welcomed the findings of Auckland University’s research ‘Violence against women in New Zealand: prevalence and health consequences, says Inspector Rob Veale, Violence Reduction Manager. “The report concludes violence is a common experience in the lives of women, and women are more at risk of experiencing violence […]

One in three women will face violence from their partners in their lifetime, and the experience will cause long-term health problems, a study has found. The University of Auckland study suggests New Zealand has a higher domestic violence rate than the United States of America or Australia. A second study, by Auckland University of Technology […]

Women’s Refuge, thirty years established in New Zealand, is widely assumed to be universally respected, and to be the only such agency offering help, counselling and accommodation to victims of family violence. In N.Z. it holds an annual Appeal Week every June, complete with much innovative, and even at times highly questionable, media coverage and […]

Intimate Partner Violence within a cohort of Pacific mothers living in New Zealand Reducing violence by Pacific peoples has been identified by Pacific communities and government agencies as an important issue. However, there is little research into the nature of intimate partner relationships among Pacific families living in New Zealand. This study reports the 12-month […]

Concerns for the safety of a woman and her children were raised last night after a Christchurch judge allowed a convicted wife-beater to apply for home detention. Brian Gardner, the national manager of the National Network of Stopping Violence Services, said the man should never have been allowed to apply for home detention. “If he […]

Experts say domestic violence is just as severe and as prevalent in same-sex relationships as in heterosexual ones, with a third of homosexual partnerships estimated to be abusive. But a taboo exists around what the gay community calls the “second closet”, resulting in under-reporting of violence and a scarcity of support services. Auckland’s Jo Butler, […]

Dr Muriel Newman – Press Releases – Social Welfare ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader and Social Welfare Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman today predicted that New Zealand would never be able to reduce its levels of domestic violence so long as the Family Court protects perpetrators behind closed doors. “On Radio New Zealand today, Chief Family […]

A pilot programme aimed at reducing domestic violence will see Family Safety Teams established in Wairarapa/Hutt Valley, Auckland/Hamilton, Christchurch, and Counties Manukau, Justice Minister Phil Goff said today… “While family violence reports may initially increase with greater awareness of effective services, the initiative is expected to reduce family violence. “The new services will focus on […]

Police in Whakatane have detected an upsurge in family violence as a flow-on effect of the region’s floods. Community Sergeant Neil Peterson said yesterday that reported family violence had doubled during the weeks since the July flooding. “We average five to six incidents each week but there is obviously a lot of stress and frustration […]

New Zealand First social services spokesperson Bill Gudgeon has called for a review of protection order provisions and police responses to domestic incidents under the Domestic Violence Act. “Domestic violence is a major problem for New Zealand women. It has been blamed for up to 27 deaths each year,” Mr Gudgeon said. “Evidence suggests that […]

Press Release: New Zealand First Party New Zealand First social services spokesperson Bill Gudgeon has praised the new domestic violence investigation system initiated by the Wairarapa police. “Every two weeks, a team from the Police, Child Youth and Family, Courts, Women’s Refuge and Stopping Violence services meet to discuss the cases of domestic violence reported […]

Women left to fight on their own By TARA ROSS Sunday Star-Times investigations reveal it is getting harder for women to win protection orders against violent partners, and judges are increasingly granting orders only in deferred, defended court hearings – rather than straight away. The National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges, expected to release a […]

Abusive text messages are forcing dozens of Bay of Plenty women to seek help from Women’s Refuge. Staff say there has been a rapid increase in the number of complaints of abusive text messages in the past six months. The problem has become so bad that 80 per cent of women seeking help have been […]

Press Release: New Zealand First Party New Zealand First social services spokesperson Bill Gudgeon says he’s thrilled that a dedicated house for fathers and children during marriage separation is being recognised for the much needed service it is providing. ………….

A dedicated house for fathers in the midst of separation, and their children is being recognised for the much-needed service it is providing. Separated Fathers Support Trust House coordinator Warren Heap says that the house specifically caters for children as well as fathers and gives families a chance to get away from often very stressful […]

The recent Justice Department-backed study into violence in the family is deeply flawed by a failure to look candidly at all aspects of a disturbing issue, writes Dr Greg Newbold. “The danger now is that, in the way of moral panics generally, false ideas about men’s violence in the home will lead to bad public […]