Greens support Women’s Refuge

John Key’s Government needs to do more to reduce domestic violence, said the Green Party today.

Green Party Women’s Affairs spokesperson Catherine Delahunty is out on the street this morning to help with the collection for the Women’s Refuge Annual Appeal.

“I am happy to be here as part of this important effort to assist victims of domestic violence, but saddened that domestic violence statistics continue to be at epidemic levels.

“We have to reflect on the effectiveness of our legal and educational strategies, since violence towards women and children is not decreasing,” said Ms Delahunty.

The Green Party supports the on-the-spot safety orders introduced this month, but says they are an ambulance at the bottom of a deep cliff.

Police project that 20,000 of those on-the-spot orders may be issued this year.
“This is a terrible indictment of the level of violence largely against women and children in our homes,” Ms Delahunty said.

“We need the on-the-spot strategies, but we also need formal protection orders, arrests and fundamental culture changes to stop violence.

“The fact that victims have to pay for protection orders is outrageous.
“Yesterday I asked the Minister of Justice to consider several issues, including the current charging of victims for protection orders, and the absence of information about perpetrators of domestic violence who are repeat offenders.”

Ms Delahunty said that fundraising on the streets for Refuge was essential but was like fundraising to stop war.
“The intimidation, verbal abuse, controls and violence towards women by their partners is not about bad individual men, but about a society where respect for many women by their partners is still non existent,” said Ms Delahunty.

Questions in the House about safety and protection orders yesterday:
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/node/4005

ENDS

© Scoop Media