Editorial: Nia's legacy

Four years ago this month a little Rotorua girl died and became a household name.

Until that point we had all seen in the media examples of some of the horrors of child abuse, but the death of Nia Glassie in our own community was a game changer.

I remember the day our emergency services reporter sat us down in the then editor's office and relayed the horrific story of abuse that had come to light.

We see and hear about some nasty business in the news game, but this was on another level, and I can't really speak for my colleagues but I feel I'm pretty safe in saying the details of that little girl's suffering shook everyone in that room.

The Nia Glassie case was a wake-up call for New Zealand, which forced us all to take a fresh look at the issue of child abuse in this country.

It's difficult to single out elements of the case as being particularly disturbing - it's all disturbing - but the horrifying realisation that so many New Zealanders are aware of abuse but do not report it suggests we may never know the scale of the problem.

If people - neighbours, family, friends - don't speak out on behalf of the helpless victims, when will the abuse stop?

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett last month launched a Green Paper on vulnerable children which suggested the mandatory reporting of child abuse.

The paper received the usual political flak from those saying it doesn't go far enough, it's too slow, too late or already been done.

But it helps keep the discussion alive. And that needs to keep happening until some real progress is made.

The Green Paper suggestions echo those of Coroner Dr Wallace Bain, whose findings we report on in today's paper.

His recommendations focus on identifying child abuse victims, notifying authorities and the monitoring of young children.

Recommendation #1 says witnesses must report abuse or face "significant" penalties.

Dr Bain also recommends making this reporting easier, via an 0800 number so people can make anonymous tip-offs, and that this number be widely publicised.

Too many stay silent because they don't want to be labelled "narks" - maybe this will encourage them to speak up.

Another recommendation is that all children from birth be compulsorily monitored up to and including the age of 5.

This is a huge undertaking but the infrastructure is there to do it with current services, departments and agencies.

And for the parents it would be something like having to sit a long-term test to get your parenting licence.

If the Government goes down this road, it would have more power to intervene in our lives, with certain provisions of the Privacy Act overridden.

This may be the price we have to pay to make our youngest and most vulnerable safe in their own homes.

Nia would have been 7 by now. Instead she'll be forever that happy smiling 3-year-old in the blue car seat.

Who knows what she would have achieved in life. As the powers that be act on the minister's and coroner's recommendations, hopefully in death she will save the lives of countless others.