Child abuse reports soar nationwide

By STEPHEN COOK

The number of suspected child abuse cases has soared to a new high, with 10,000 more complaints reported to Child Youth and Family in the past year.

The department is at a loss to explain the exact reasons for the increase, saying it is not clear whether the figures reflect more abuse or simply a greater awareness of CYF services.

In the year to June 30, CYF received 43,414 notifications of child abuse. That was an increase of 10,212 cases, or 30.8 per cent, on the same period 12 months earlier.

Of those cases, 36,066 required further action by social workers.

For social agencies, the most worrying aspect has been the rise in the number of suspected critical cases - those where CYF was required to act within 24 hours. Those numbers were up dramatically in every part of the country. Nationally, critical cases were up by 41.1 per cent.

By far the worst area is the northern region, which takes in Whangarei and the Far North, where the number of critical notifications rose by 63.6 per cent for the year.

The Auckland region also recorded a significant increase in the number of suspected critical cases.

The Office for the Children's Commissioner says those figures are "the most concerning" as many children are generally on a waiting list and do not receive the early intervention their cases may require.

The figures again cement New Zealand's reputation as one of the worst countries in the world for reported child abuse.

A Unicef report last year found the New Zealand rate of 1.3 child deaths from maltreatment per 100,000 was 13 times greater than the best rate - that of Spain. New Zealand was also identified as one of only four where child death rates from maltreatment had increased since the 1970s.

CYF spokeswoman Hilda Tait said that after a series of critical findings against the department in the past 12 months, there had been "significant additional investment and structural changes" to enable it to carry out its functions more effectively.

That included the recruitment of 93 additional social workers, with a further 56 due soon.

Ms Tait said that this year CYF had achieved some success in reducing the number of unallocated cases: down from 4600 in January to 3600 last month.

"The department is committed to sustaining this improvement and ensuring cases are allocated as quickly as possible," she said.

CYF Minister Ruth Dyson attributed the increase to both more cases and greater reporting. "It will be a mixture of both," she said.

There had already been additional investment in the department. The Government was "keeping a very close eye" on the numbers, she said, and was prepared to act if notifications outstripped resources.

"We're not sure if it's an ongoing trend or a surge which will stabilise."

Nevertheless, with child abuse rates soaring, politicians and social agencies are now questioning what lessons have been learned from the murder of Coral Burrows and other high-profile abuse cases.

National's family spokeswoman, Judith Collins, labelled the statistics an "absolute national disgrace", claiming "the land of milk and honey" had now become "the land of broken bones and black eyes".

She said while there was a greater public awareness about the work done by CYF, the number one reason for the increase in child abuse was a breakdown of the family unit.

"But it really doesn't matter what the reasons are. It's the fact that it happens," she said.

Child Abuse Prevention Services spokeswoman Heather Henare said it was incomprehensible that in a country the size of New Zealand, the child abuse rate should be so high.

But she said it was virtually impossible to stereotype the perpetrators of child abuse.

They came from all backgrounds, not just low-income single-parent Maori families.

"It's time to say enough is enough. We need to shift the tide and get those numbers down," she said.

Act's social services spokeswoman, Muriel Newman, also condemned the figures as an indictment on New Zealand's reputation as a "great place to bring up kids".

Child abuse was now an epidemic and the blame for that lay squarely with the welfare system and the Family Court.

Both had failed the youngest and most vulnerable members of society.

"These figures are very scary because these are only the cases that have been reported. What about all the other cases that have not been reported," she said.

"It seems nothing has been learned from the appalling tragedies of the past."

Abuse notifications

43,414: calls received by CYF in the past 12 months.

3609: cases a month.

120: cases a day.

+31% increase.