ECC welcomes report into Police handling of child abuse complaints

‘Let’s not make the Independent Police Complaints Authority report into Police handling of child abuse complaints a witch hunt,’ said Murray Edridge, chairperson of Every Child Counts*.

‘The Police are an essential element of any strategy to reduce child abuse in New Zealand. The report of the Independent Police Complaints Authority is therefore a timely audit of the effectiveness of their systems,’ Mr Edridge continued.

‘Like most audits it has identified shortcomings and areas for improvement. The Commissioner of Police and his staff can work on the improvements needed.

‘But let’s not get diverted from the central issue which is the quality of parental education and support in this country – not the nature of the Police response after a child has been assaulted.

‘We need an efficient and effective Police response, but much more importantly we need parents who are loving, competent and capable of coping with the stresses of family life,’ Mr Edridge concluded.

ENDS

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