Media statement
For immediate release
Wednesday, 4 July 2007

Turner: domestic violence policies must treat all equally

United Future deputy leader Judy Turner is questioning whether the police treat men and women equally when it comes to dealing with domestic violence.

She points to a story aired on May 22 on TV2's Police-10 programme in which Auckland police respond to a domestic violence case, where a mother seriously assaulted her partner in front of their children.

The police advise the father that if he lays a complaint, then the mother will be taken away and the children taken into CYF's care.

The police appear reluctant to leave the children in the father's care, even though he's the victim of the alleged assault, with the result that the father refuses to make a statement, thus allowing the children to stay at home and the mother to escape the consequences of her actions.

"If the genders were reversed," says Mrs Turner, "and the father was charged with assaulting the mother, I'm certain the police would have no hesitation in locking up Dad and leaving the children with Mum.

"I have quizzed the Police Minister, Annette King on this apparent inconsistency in policy and she says she's unaware of any problems with the police approach, even though they have no policy to cover what they should do when a woman is the alleged assailant.

"I have every sympathy with the police when they are called on to deal with complex domestic violence cases, but everyone must be treated equally regardless of gender, if we are not to have family relationships plagued with an endless sense of grievance," says Mrs Turner.

ENDS

© Scoop Media