Family First NZ is rejecting comments by Celia Lashlie about mothers being too soft, and says that for most parents, the problem is that the authority and role of parents has been undermined and the concept of the ‘rights’ of young people has actually caused more harm than good.

“Parenting has been put on trial in New Zealand as a result of dopey laws like the anti-smacking law, welfare payments like the Independent Youth Benefit, and the rights of young people being trumpeted as being more important than the role of the family,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“It seems we are no longer allowed to teach our children the concept of ‘respect’, and that is now showing in the way many young people deal with authority like the police and teachers.”

“Parents are doing their darned best in difficult circumstances, knowing that they could be criminalised for setting boundaries and consequences, and then having a finger pointed at them by experts when young people play up.”

“The lack of inaction on alcohol abuse and the drinking age is a perfect example of the political neglect when it comes to empowering families to protect their children,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“As UK psychologist Aric Sigman said, parents, teachers, policemen, doctors, nurses now have to justify their actions like never before, and this just fuels young peoples’ views of their self-importance.”

“Alcohol abuse by teenagers, risky behavior and dangerous driving, reports of knife attacks in primary schools, suspensions of new entrants for disobedience and aggression, and increasing levels of criminal assaults being committed by primary school age students is no surprise – and will worsen, especially when schools are pressured to accept and accommodate increasingly defiant and unacceptable behaviour by children, and as parental authority is undermined by politicians,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“Celia Lashlie is correct in saying that there are ‘push-over parents’, but we need to address the far more important issue of how we are disempowering and demonising good parents.

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42

MEDIA RELEASE

20 July 2011

Family First NZ says that lawyers have sent a clear warning to parents regarding the anti-smacking law – that parenting is now a risky business and parents should always seek legal advice when facing complaints about smacking, no matter how reasonable or appropriate they believe their actions to be.

“One of the sad aspects of the anti-smacking law is that it has done nothing to stop our horrendous rates of child abuse, but it has put good parents at the risk of criminalization for what is appropriate and non-abusive parenting, This has been backed up by the concerns expressed by, and experiences of, legal professionals,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Anecdotal evidence received by Family First always backs up these concerns.”

“Prominent Wellington Barrister Greg King says that a smack, no matter how light, could certainly amount in law to an assault, whether or not it is justified or not depends on all of the relevant circumstances, but I repeat a parent who smacks a child risks being charged. This is in direct conflict to the assurances of the Prime Minister to kiwi parents.”

“Napier Barrister Phillip Ross warns that the prosecutor’s discretion not to charge does not give the Court a similar discretion.

Auckland lawyer John Cagney says that not only is s59 expressed in such a way that prediction of outcome from particular action is impossible but the outcome is often dependent on the sympathies and prejudices of many of the officials involved in the prosecution and court process.”

“Wellington lawyer Michael Bott reiterates what all the lawyers have recommended – that no matter whether the parent thinks the actions were justified and reasonable, they should get legal advice before they open their mouth to police or CYF, and says we’ve got good parents who are being caught up. And that’s extremely sad. But it’s what we predicted,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“New Plymouth lawyer Barry Henderson says this regrettable situation has lead to incredible confusion with decent parents. And Auckland Barrister Evgeny Orlov warns that the anti-smacking legislation is the tip of an iceberg. The law allows the State to take away your children even if you show unacceptable levels of anger let alone smacking them.”

“It is disappointing that parenting in NZ has become a legal minefield because the politicians have failed to tackle the real causes of child abuse and have instead criminalized good and non-abusive parenting practice,” says Mr McCoskrie.

The full advice for parents is on the recently released www.protectgoodparents.org.nz website under “legal advice for parents’.

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie – National Director

Mob. 027 55 555 42

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MEDIA RELEASE

29 July 2010

Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse Is First Step

‘How many more children have to die before we do something?’

Family First NZ is repeating its call for a Commission of Inquiry into the unacceptable levels of child abuse and deaths in NZ, and says that it will be an important first step in identifying and targeting the real causes of child abuse.

The call comes following the death of 6 month old Cezar Taylor. More than 20 children have been killed since the passing of the anti-smacking law, maintaining the rate of child abuse deaths that existed before the law change.

“We are tip-toeing around the real issues of alcohol abuse, drugs, declining rates of marriage, increasing levels of violence and sexual content in our media, and welfare which rewards dysfunction,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ.

“We must take pro-active action and tackle head-on these difficult issues as well as mental illness, low maternal age, and other key factors identified by UNICEF and CYF reports.”

“The 88% of voters in the recent Referendum who opposed the anti-smacking law are NZ’ers exasperated with the fact that politicians and government funded groups seem more interested in targeting good parents than tackling these much tougher issues.”

“These latest cases are yet another wake-up call that children will never be safe until we are honest enough as a country to identify and tackle the real causes of child abuse.”

“An independent Inquiry free of political correctness and agendas would be an important first step,” says Mr McCoskrie.

www.stoptheabuse.org.nz

HALL OF SHAME

Since Anti-smacking law was passed

1. 16 month old Sachin Dhani June 2007

2. 28-year-old woman charged with murdering a newborn baby found dead in the backyard of a Te Mome Road property in Alicetown – June 2007

3. 22-month-old Tyla-Maree Darryl Flynn June 2007

4. 3 year old Nia Glassie July 2007

5. Ten-month-old Jyniah Mary Te Awa September 2007 Manurewa

6. Two-month-old Tahani Mahomed December 2007 Otahuhu

7. 3 year old Dylan Hohepa Tonga Rimoni April 2008 Drury

8. A 27-year-old Dunedin mother of five admitted infanticide. On May 26 she lost control, banged the baby’s head repeatedly against the couch, choked her, then threw her on the bed and covered her with a blanket. May 2008

9. 7-year-old Duwayne Toetu Taote Pailegutu. July 2008

10.  16-month old Riley Justin Osborne (Kerikeri) boy Dec 2008

11. Three-year-old Cherish Tahuri-Wright (Marton) Feb 2009

12. Five-week-old Jayrhis Ian Te Koha Lock-Tata (Taupo) Mar 2009

13. One-year-old Trent James Matthews – aka Michael Matthews Jun 2009

14. Two-year-old Jacqui Peterson-Davis Kaitaia Aug 09

15. Three-year-old Kash McKinnon Palmerston North Aug 09

16. Baby death arrest Green Bay 26 Aug 2009 http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=41369

17. 22 month old Hail-Sage McClutchie Morrinsville 27 Sep 2009

18. Karl Perigo-Check Junior Wanganui 25 Oct 2009

19. 13 month old New Lynn 18 Feb 2010
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10626907

20. Infanticide Waltham 18 Feb 2010
Police investigating the death of a baby who was found at a Christchurch address yesterday are looking for the child’s mother.  http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3342576/Police-appeal-for-dead-babys-mother

21. Cezar Taylor 6 months July 2010

ENDS

For More Information and Media Interviews, contact Family First:

Bob McCoskrie JP – National Director

Tel. 09 261 2426 | Mob. 027 55 555 42