The Re-victimization of Victims Must End!

31st May 2017

Sensible Sentencing Group Trust (SSGT) victim advocate Jayne Walker is appalled at the treatment meted out by WINZ to a young rape victim, who had her benefit docked for not naming the father of her child. This 13 year old girl was the victim of rape and fell pregnant as a consequence of that rape, and was then re-victimized by the very people that should have been there to help her.

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/05/rape-victim-has-benefit-docked-by-winz.html

The Ministry of Social Development has admitted they made a mistake, but only after questions were asked by the media.

This is one of the many horror stories that the SSGT get calls about from victims on a regular basis.

“We have identified a gap in staff training around how victims should be treated; to ensure they are not re-victimised by inexperienced or inadequately qualified staff. There is an urgent need for Victim Awareness Training (VAT) and workshops to be available to Government Departments as a matter of urgency” says Jayne Walker.

With this in mind the SSGT is setting up a Victim Awareness Training focus group in Christchurch where this initiative will be piloted.

Walker, who is the coordinator of the Victim Awareness Training group states “These agencies are in a vital and in fact a privileged position to HELP in the healing process, but too often they re-victimize the victims over a very long period of time and as evidenced in this recent case, over almost 10 years. It is unacceptable and must change”

The Christchurch arm of the SSGT aims to work alongside the agencies, using the resources already available to them, and to make sure they adhere to the Victims’ Rights Act. “Our focus is to ensure the victims are empowered and supported to heal safely, not hammered down, time and time again”

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