Sunday, February 16, 2014

All-powerful CYF

There are some things I am vaguely aware of but haven't had spelt out for me. For instance, that CYF is a very powerful agency. Perhaps the most powerful state agency that exists. IRD can take your money, but CYF can take your children.

And the reason they are all-powerful was pointed out to me in an OIA response I received last week.

I've been trying to ascertain what the familial relationships are between abusers and victims. The government is proposing a much greater level of scrutiny for teachers and others who work with children. I am not alone in questioning this. An employment lawyer writes:

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has announced her intention to introduce new legislation designed to protect vulnerable children and "help them thrive".
However, the Vulnerable Children's Bill may equally be titled the Vulnerable Employees' Bill.

Anyway, the OIA response confirmed what I suspected. MSD tells me that of the alleged 12,987 perpetrators in the year to June 2012, 83 percent were family members of the children and young people involved.

There is, however, one form of abuse - sexual - where 56 percent of alleged perpetrators were not a family or household member.

The breakdown is below. But it was the preamble that really caught my attention and the reason for the title of this post.


2 comments:

PM of NZ said...

"CYF can find abuse where the Police do not"

That is really disturbing. CYF openly admits to taking any allegation, adds it to their stats, does not need to prove anything. Meanwhile its arms are wide open for further taxpayer funding and legislation based on those patently made up numbers.

As you suggest, a law unto themselves. Scary.

Anonymous said...

Huh! What a crock that statement is. I am currently in a retrial for four offences against my daughters by their uncle. He has been found guilty by the law yet CYFs make NO action against him living with a 7yr old autistic child. Revolting.