Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse Is First Step

'How many more children have to die before we do something?'

Family First NZ is repeating its call for a Commission of Inquiry into the unacceptable levels of child abuse and deaths in NZ, and says that it will be an important first step in identifying and targeting the real causes of child abuse.

The call comes following the death of 6 month old Cezar Taylor. More than 20 children have been killed since the passing of the anti-smacking law, maintaining the rate of child abuse deaths that existed before the law change.

"We are tip-toeing around the real issues of alcohol abuse, drugs, declining rates of marriage, increasing levels of violence and sexual content in our media, and welfare which rewards dysfunction," says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

"We must take pro-active action and tackle head-on these difficult issues as well as mental illness, low maternal age, and other key factors identified by UNICEF and CYF reports."

"The 88% of voters in the recent Referendum who opposed the anti-smacking law are NZ'ers exasperated with the fact that politicians and government funded groups seem more interested in targeting good parents than tackling these much tougher issues."

"These latest cases are yet another wake-up call that children will never be safe until we are honest enough as a country to identify and tackle the real causes of child abuse."

"An independent Inquiry free of political correctness and agendas would be an important first step," says Mr McCoskrie. www.stoptheabuse.org.nz

HALL OF SHAME Since Anti-smacking law was passed

1. 16 month old Sachin Dhani June 2007

2. 28-year-old woman charged with murdering a newborn baby found dead in the backyard of a Te Mome Road property in Alicetown - June 2007

3. 22-month-old Tyla-Maree Darryl Flynn June 2007

4. 3 year old Nia Glassie July 2007

5. Ten-month-old Jyniah Mary Te Awa September 2007 Manurewa

6. Two-month-old Tahani Mahomed December 2007 Otahuhu

7. 3 year old Dylan Hohepa Tonga Rimoni April 2008 Drury

8. A 27-year-old Dunedin mother of five admitted infanticide. On May 26 she lost control, banged the baby's head repeatedly against the couch, choked her, then threw her on the bed and covered her with a blanket. May 2008

9. 7-year-old Duwayne Toetu Taote Pailegutu. July 2008

10. 16-month old Riley Justin Osborne (Kerikeri) boy Dec 2008

11. Three-year-old Cherish Tahuri-Wright (Marton) Feb 2009

12. Five-week-old Jayrhis Ian Te Koha Lock-Tata (Taupo) Mar 2009

13. One-year-old Trent James Matthews - aka Michael Matthews Jun 2009

14. Two-year-old Jacqui Peterson-Davis Kaitaia Aug 09 15. Three-year-old Kash McKinnon Palmerston North Aug 09

16. Baby death arrest Green Bay 26 Aug 2009 http://www.infonews.co.nz/newscfm?id=41369

17. 22 month old Hail-Sage McClutchie Morrinsville 27 Sep 2009

18. Karl Perigo-Check Junior Wanganui 25 Oct 2009

19. 13 month old New Lynn 18 Feb 2010 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10626907

20. Infanticide Waltham 18 Feb 2010 Police investigating the death of a baby who was found at a Christchurch address yesterday are looking for the child's mother. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3342576/Police-appeal-for-dead-babys-mother

21. Cezar Taylor 6 months July 2010

ENDS

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