The hidden epidemic in Kiwi homes
More funding's been announced to train up domestic violence support workers, but turning our horrific figures around is expected to take generations
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RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Family violence: The hidden epidemic in Kiwi homes that costs the country billions
Photo: Every four minutes, New Zealand Police are called to a family harm incident. That's up to 400 call-outs every single day . It's a staggering and disturbing figure in a country that prides itself on kindness, community, and whānau. Yet, behind too many closed doors, the silent war rages, leaving victims bruised, broken, and often voiceless. The Detail looks at the alarming rate of domestic violence in New Zealand, and potential solutions, speaking to Auckland University professor of law Mark Henaghan, who was on the Family Violence Death Review committee for nearly decade, and Emma Powell, CEO of Te Puna Aonui, which has launched the government's Action Plan to eliminate domestic and sexual violence. "I would probably use the words hidden epidemic, basically," says Henaghan. "Nearly 50 percent of our murder cases involve family violence. "We only really detect ... about 20 percent [of domestic violence incidents], so there's a whole lot ... that doesn't get to the surface." He says something needs to be done, and immediately. New Zealand's rates of domestic and family violence are among the highest in the OECD . On average, 13 females and 10 males are killed every year. Māori women are particularly at risk - more likely to be killed by a partner and less likely to seek help. The financial cost to the country , Henaghan says, is huge. "They reckon it's worth, like to the country ... between $8 to $10 billion, probably more ... in terms of time off work, and how people suffer from it so they can't be productive, how children get into difficulty because all the costs of it, the medical costs, and all the rest of it, are massive. "But they're never talked about much in any political campaign, I think it's because ... we don't want to know about it. "We do need to hear about it; we need to have our eyes wide open to the realities of it." Powell, who is also a key member of the Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence, tells The Detail , "if you look at the numbers, the rates are stubbornly high", but she says the government is taking action to address the crisis. Late last year, it launched part two of Te Aorerekura - the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence - a 25-year strategy designed to achieve intergenerational change. Part one was introduced in 2021. Powell says over the next few years it's keying in on good investment and commissioning, how effective funding is, freeing up frontline workers to get them into the community and more productive places, getting into the regions, intervening earlier, focusing more on children, confronting perpetrators, and building an information sharing platform. "I really believe that the only way forward is doing things as collectives, and that's tough, it is hard, hard stuff to do, but it's really important," says Powell. "I think taken together and executed really well in a community, we should start to see a real shift." Last week, the government announced that, as part of the Action Plan, more training to help staff support in family and sexual violence responses will be rolled out across frontline services, with the goal of reaching 10,000 workers in the next two years. Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour says, "this will ensure victim-survivors receive best practice support, and will empower staff to safely recognise, refer, and respond to family and sexual violence". "This training is an important part of our response to family and sexual violence. I am proud of our progress against the second Te Aorerekura Action Plan, it shows the benefits of a multi-agency response and the dedication of government departments to best supporting victim-survivors." Powell says while change can be slow, a recent experience in Rotorua provides proof that it is starting to happen. "I was spending time on the ground with a multi-agency collaboration ... and I was talking to one of the leads there and she was telling me about just a story - stories that they [are] starting to see more and more - where 'she has left him', and we don't count that, we don't count that in government as an indicator of success. "But they are seeing more and more that women are feeling empowered, supported, and safe to actually leave very violent and difficult situations. And so, there are lives being changed by the work that we are doing." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here . You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
The hidden epidemic in Kiwi homes
crime police 21 minutes ago More funding's been announced to train up domestic violence support workers, but turning our horrific figures around is expected to take generations
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
Police hunt for car involved in Whangārei bar robbery
File photo. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller Police are asking for help in locating a car involved in a violent bar robbery in Whangārei on Friday night. A shot was fired into the roof of the bar by an armed robber, who also assaulted a patron. Whangārei police said two suspects were sought, after entering the premises on Kensington Avenue with a firearm and demanding money. A man wielding a gun burst into the bar through the smoker's area about 9.30pm and demanded staff give him money from the till. Two staff and three customers were still at the pub, as it was closing. The man reportedly fired a shot towards the roof and assaulted a patron, before taking cash and leaving in a vehicle. Police are now trying to track the movements of a white Toyota Aqua with stolen licence plates, registration KHA69, which was involved in the robbery. Anyone who may have been in the Ngunguru area between 10.30pm and 3.00am Saturday, and may have dashcam footage is asked to contact police. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
