Sunday, July 17, 2011

A very disturbing account

If you have the time today watch the DVD Family First has just released about cases where parents have been dragged through the courts for 'assault' on their children. I saw the film at the conference and it has impact. After the film had finished three of the couples involvd actually took the stage. These are real people whose lives have become a disorientated nightmare.

These are people whose natural impulse was to tell CYF or the police exactly what had happened in the belief that reasonable fellow adults would be able to put their actions in context. That telling the truth would be the best course of action.

It wasn't. And if you have a look at what 10 lawyers are saying now, if CYF or the police turn up on your doorstep with an accusation of 'assault' on your child, or another, say nothing.

That is the world we live in. Our best and honest instincts must be surpressed because the state cannot be trusted. We rail against cases like the Kahuis where witnesses clammed up but are discovering that we must do the same. In the first instance at least.

So well-intentioned sorts who believe if you have nothing to hide the law can only be your friend, think again.

10 comments:

Adolf Fiinkensein said...

And did you see the appalling headline in today's Herald. Designed to slur one of thw women featuring in the video. Turns out she didtn't 'stick a pen into the child's leg at all' and the judge made cleaar his displeasure at having his time wasted with a frivolous case.

Maybe it's time for Mr Key to look at repealing this legislation.

The Gantt Guy said...

John Key's enduring legacy for the people of New Zealand: criminalising good parents while at the same time utterly failing to stop the massacre of Maori children by their own families.

KG said...

"Maybe it's time for Mr Key to look at repealing this legislation."
Maybe Adolf? You, who have been a relentless cheerleader for Key, who failed to express outrage that he ignored the 87% who voted in a referendum to repeal the odious Bradford's act?

Either you're a slow, slow learner or merely an opportunist who blows whichever way the current winds dictate.

The Gantt Guy said...

KG, the word you're looking for is:

sycophant

Adolf is the National Party's Lyn Prentice.

mawm said...

John Key's enduring legacy for the people of New Zealand: criminalising good parents while at the same time utterly failing to stop the massacre of Maori children by their own families.

This is only one of his legacies that will forever define his inability to put NZ on the high road.

Don't forget his ETS, his Marine and Coastal Areas Act and his shameful attempt to hide his signing the divisive Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Gantt Guy said...

Agreed, mawm, but one treasonous act at a time, eh?

baxter said...

It is appalling as 80 odd per cent of us knew it would be. Instead of targeting the obvious miscreants the authorities have gone for soft targets. None of these people fit the profile of those who kill or maim their children....You lefties slagging John KEY must have missed GOFFs appearance on the video he was just as much out of touch.

Major Bob said...

A sad state of affairs when pollies think they know best! I was ashamed when the government decided to over rule the smacking referendum. Pollies should be held responsible for their actions, just like every one esle.

Bruce S said...

We are indeed fortunate that Australia has not shut the door on Kiwi citizens fleeing the injustice systems that exists here. Refugees from the corrupt and abusive social, bureaucratic and judicial systems in NZ, far and away exceed the numbers of boat people from South and East Asia attempting to enter Australia.

May we all hope that Australia keeps the Tasman door open because we have lost the freedom to petition parliament for sensible, legislative change. With dogmatic bureaucrats in charge who pay no heed to family and human rights, expect NZ to soon become the Zimbabwe of the Pacific.

Anonymous said...

May we all hope that Australia keeps the Tasman door open

Dream on. As Labour & LabourLite keep trashing the NZ economy, as thousand, then tens of thousands of people flee what is basically a collapsing country every month, that door will close fast and hard.

In fact: things are now so bad in NZ that even any meaningful reform would result in Kiwis being shut out of Oz.