Family Integrity

Tag: Prosecuted

  • More Good Parents Victims of Anti-Smacking Law

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0807/S00332.htm

    More Good Parents Victims of Anti-Smacking Law

    Monday, 28 July 2008, 8:29 am
    Press Release: Family First


    More Evidence of Good Parents Victims of Anti-Smacking Law

    Family First has published advertisements in the Sunday papers highlighting further cases of good parents being reported, investigated, persecuted, and even prosecuted as a result of the anti-smacking law.

    “All NZ’ers want to tackle the issue of child abuse but the anti-smacking law, and the compromise brokered by John Key, has not brought about the desired result,” says Bob McCoskrie, National Director of Family First NZ. “Even the architect of the bill, Green MP Sue Bradford, has admitted that the bill was never intended to solve the problem of child abuse and child violence.”

    “But now we have good parents being caught in the cross-fire of our worthy desire to tackle the real causes of child abuse.”

    Family First has documented evidence of a number of disturbing cases including:

    * a father separated from his children for 6 months by CYF because of malicious claims by mother that he had smacked them – CYF eventually re-allowed access but only due to a strong supporter who knew the system
    * a father prosecuted and convicted because of pushing the upper arm of his daughter 2-3 times and demanding she listen to her mother
    * a father dragged through the court process only to turn up to the court case and the police to admit they had no evidence
    * a stepfather who had to physically restrain the arms of his stepdaughter, being interrogated for 2 hours almost 7 months after the incident, and 6 months later still not knowing the outcome
    * a CYFS Community Panel Board member telling Family First “I can say without a doubt, that in my time I have seen a small but a definite increase in ‘good’ parents being investigated by our CYFS case workers.”

    Other cases are documented on our website http://www.familyfirst.org.nz/index.cfm/CASES

    Family First NZ continues to call on the politicians to change the law so that non-abusive smacking is not a crime (as wanted by 85% of NZ’ers, according to recent research).

    ENDS

  • Nats won’t change child-discipline law, says Key

    Family First:

    We have been asked on a number of occasions where does National stand on the anti-smacking law, and will they change it if elected as the government.

    Here’s the answer…
     Nats won’t change child-discipline law, says Key
    The Press 26 June 2008
    National Party leader John Key has ruled out overturning the controversial child-discipline law if he becomes Prime Minister, despite championing a referendum on the issue. In Parliament yesterday, he accused Prime Minister Helen Clark of “ignoring the will of the New Zealand people” and urged a referendum be held on the so-called “anti-smacking” legislation at election time. His call came after Clark announced the Government had accepted official advice that it was too late to hold a referendum this year.

    Asked by The Press afterwards if a National government would consider revoking the law as a result of a referendum, Key said: “No. The position as it has essentially always been since we signed a compromise (with Labour) is that if we see good parents being criminalised for lightly smacking their children then we will actively seek to change the law,” he said. “But at this point, as the police report pointed out earlier this week, we haven’t seen that at all. “The test we have is a pretty simple one. If the law doesn’t work then we’ll change it.”
    READ FULL ARTICLE     http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4596934a24035.html

    Family First Comment :
    We are currently researching a number of cases where good parents have been criminalised or had children removed by CYF for lightly smacking or correcting their children.

    If you have been investigated or prosecuted by the police or CYF for ‘light smacking’, or know of someone who has, please email us in the strictest confidence bob@familyfirst.org.nz

    Kind regards

    Bob McCoskrie
    National Director

    www.familyfirst.org.nz