Community demanding Family Court Inquiry hand delivers open letter to Parliament

A letter calling for an Inquiry into the NZ Family Courts goes to Parliament on Thursday 17 August at 12.30pm.

Over 2,500 people have signed a short-term open letter, which will be presented today to Nanaia Mahuta, Marama Davidson, Louisa Wall, Poto Williams, Ruth Dyson, Jan Logie and other Members of Parliament. Written by a group of survivors of domestic violence, the letter is a grassroots initiative devised to support the existing demand for an Inquiry by Backbone Collective.

Community In Action (CIA) spokesperson Ninakaye Taanetinorau says videos exposing forceful police uplifts of children in media last week are a shocking, much-needed insight for society. “These uplifts are one issue of a mountain of shocking issues existing via the Family Courts. I applaud the work of those who have begun opening the lid on the atrocities that are decimating our families here in Aotearoa.”

“The Family Court system is proving to be extremely ineffective, particularly in cases where the complex issue of Family Violence is associated. A specific knowledge base should be applied, however the Family Court’s minimisation of domestic violence only serves to further sanction it. With almost 60,000 cases through the Family Court last year alone, this potentially equates to a phenomenal amount of unsafe children and whānau.”

Ninakaye says she knows of whānau living in fear for their lives due to the Family Court sanctioning ongoing abuse from ex-partners, others due to gagging orders placed upon them by the Family Court. She says a huge safety concern is for children have limited to no access to safe parents after an abusive parent has manipulated the system accordingly.

“The open letter was a powerful way to get the collective voice of a growing community heard by Parliament. We no longer want to live in a society where the “powers that be” sanction violence behind closed doors, where children are unsafe and safe parents are penalised. It is no wonder we have the highest statistics for domestic violence in the developed world, when whānau are not getting the support required by the system in order to address abuse and affect positive change.”

“We urgently need an effective, supportive, and consistent integrated Family Court response system; that means police, legal, child protection and family violence support services. Only a full Inquiry can lead us towards that.”

ENDS

What: Delivery of letter calling for Royal Commission of Inquiry into NZ Family Courts

When: 10.00am meet Civic Square (weather pending)

Where: 12.30pm, bottom of steps of Parliament Building

Who: Community In Action, Ninakaye Taane-Tinorau, ninakaye@tikidub.com

Letter - https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/safety-within-nz-family-courts-via-a-royal-commission-of-inquiry

ENDS

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