police shame

It really is difficult to get your head around. That the police would have 108 child abuse files sitting around gathering dust for a couple of years and meanwhile the brave people that made the complaints, that forced themselves to seek help - have been left without any help at all. What a terrible plight those people have gone through and are still going through today as the cases are only now being followed up.

From NZH

"Wellington police had been working to ease the backlog with a special operation, investigating more than 100 files since December and making 30 arrests."

When are we going to realise that arresting and putting people away in jail is not the answer. We need to look at the causes of this situation. Why is this happening?

The truth is we need to fix the foundations of this country up. That will support tangata whenua and also support everyone else. We won't fix this issue unless we look deeply at the cause - and the cause is partly due to injustice that permeates our society - from it's formation to today.

Update from Stuff

"In the Wairarapa, 108 cases were unallocated, files were uninvestigated on average for five years and, in some cases, victims lived with their alleged abusers all that time."

"Wairarapa's top police officer and a senior detective are facing possible disciplinary action over the mishandling of child abuse files."

"The IPCA found there was also a backlog of child abuse cases in Rotorua and Westport."

An average of five years - resign - you have let everyone down.