KEY POINTS:
The rising level of violent crime reflected in the latest crime statistics is a "national disgrace" and a burden for those battling domestic violence, the head of Women's Refuge says.
While the general crime statistics released today for the year to June were viewed by police as pleasing, figures showed violent crime was up 4.4 per cent.
Heather Henare, chief executive of the national collective of independent Women's Refuges, said the figure showed the extent of the job faced by groups working to combat domestic violence.
Some of the increase could be attributed to better reporting and more awareness, she said, "but the figures in themselves are still a national disgrace".
"What we have to remember and that the police acknowledge, is that the crime reported is also just part of what is actually happening and that is certainly true in terms of domestic violence," Ms Henare said.
The message that violence is unacceptable was not getting through to many men, and as a result lives were still being lost.
"It is an absolute tragedy so many women and children are the victims of violence every day and it is taking a shocking toll on whanau."
Ms Henare said refuges were working on a daily basis with women and children to try and break cycles of violence and free them from physical and psychological terror.
However, the increase in such people seeking help was placing huge pressure on resources.
Ms Henare said while the Government was taking positive steps in boosting resources in its own relevant agencies, groups such as Women's Refuge also needed adequate resourcing to ensure headway was made in the battle against family violence.
Today's statistics also showed a spike of 8.4 per cent in offences against property, but police said the figures were generally pleasing with an overall increase of only 115 offences or 0.03 per cent.
Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls said the increase in violent crimes reflected a continuing police and community focus on domestic and family violence.
Reporting in such crimes was going up, he said.
Figures showed that nationwide, recorded crime increased in five districts - Wellington by 6.9 per cent, Canterbury by 5.2 per cent, Central by 3.4 per cent, Waikato by 3.23 per cent and Tasman by 3.11 per cent.
The largest reductions in recorded crime were seen in the Bay of Plenty (5.6 per cent), Counties Manukau (4.9 per cent), Northland (2.9 per cent), Waitemata (2.3 per cent) and Auckland City (2 per cent).
Murders dropped from 59 in the year to June 2006, to 50 in the year to June.
Sexual offences increased by 4.6 per cent.
Mr Nicholls said sexual offences were known to be "significantly under-reported" and the increase reflected police work with other agencies aimed at improving reporting rates of such crimes.
An increase of 3.8 per cent in the drugs and anti-social category were largely made up of disorder and breaches of liquor bans and the Sale of Liquor Act offences.
Dishonesty offences, which make up 55 per cent of all offences, went down by 3.4 per cent.
National's justice spokesman, Simon Power, said violent and sex crimes had risen 32 per cent since Labour came to power in 1999 - from 40,090 offences to 52,883.
"This is all about crimes against people, and this government is not delivering safer communities," he said.
"It is clear from these figures - with serious violence and assaults continuing to show big increases but minor assaults up only 0.7 per cent - that crime is now much nastier and this is a major concern."
Mr Power said the figures were an indictment on Labour's crime prevention strategies and made a joke of claims that they were on top of the problem.
The party's associate welfare spokeswoman, Anne Tolley, said the lack of commitment to tackling youth crime was breeding hardened criminals.
She said the statistics showed violent crime among 14 to 16-year-olds had risen 47 per cent since Labour came to power.
"The Government needs to admit it has been slack on youth crime despite protestations it is taking the issue seriously," Ms Tolley said.
- NZPA
