New Year Honours: Ruth Money for services to victim advocacy

Ruth Money. Photo / Dean Purcell

Ruth Money has been a victim advocate since 2012, working with numerous New Zealander affected by crime to help them through the court process or to seek justice.

Today, she has been made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Money spends up to 60 hours of her own time every week giving a voice to victims and has worked on high-profile cases including the killings of Christie Marceau and Blessie Gotingco.

Formerly a leading voice within the Sensible Sentencing Trust, Money now co-manages a training service that teaches parents, teachers, and sector staff about about child sex offenders.

In 2018 she was appointed to the Safe and Effective Justice Programme Advisory Group to work on criminal justice reforms.

Money was "genuinely shocked" with her honour, but humbled and grateful.

"Clearly I don't do this for me - but what this honour does is highlight the plight of victims and survivors and shows their voices are being heard and acknowledged," she said.

"This is for all of them.

"Through my work, I see them bloom after something as horrific as homicide or rape has affected them.

"That's all I need - but this does honour them and I want them to be honoured and know that people are hearing them."