Increasing family violence calls but fewer resolutions

New data shows police are dealing with more family violence, but where an offence is reported, fewer cases are being resolved.

The New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse (NZFVC) based at the University of Auckland’s data summaries released today report statistics from government and non-government agencies. New Zealand Police data shows:

Police conducted 101,981 family violence investigations in 2014. In only 37 percent of investigations was an offence recorded. This is down from 47 percent in 2008.

There were 7163 recorded male assaults female offences in 2014 and 82 percent were resolved (e.g. where one or more offenders were apprehended). This is down from 93 percent being resolved in 2008.

There were 6103 recorded offences for breaching a protection order in 2014 (an average 17 per day). 83 percent were resolved. This is down from 90 percent being resolved in 2008.

Of the almost 2000 sexual violence offences against adults in 2014, 41 percent were resolved. This is down from 65 percent being resolved in 2008.

The data also shows that on average, the police are issuing 36 Police Safety Orders per day. This equates to over 13,000 Police Safety Orders issued in 2014.
NZFVC Research Fellow Pauline Gulliver says “The Police and the government are encouraging people to report family violence. Once an offence is reported, it is vital that the response is adequate and effective.”

“We are aware the Police have embarked on a significant programme of change in how they respond to family violence. The data suggests that adequate resourcing including investing in staff training, support and culture change will be required for this to be effective.”

Agencies also need to share information so all parts of the response system can work effectively together.

This is consistent with the Coroner’s report in the Livingstone case and the recommendations of the Family Violence Death Review Committee.

The 2015 data summaries are online at: https://nzfvc.org.nz/data-summaries

ENDS

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