RNZ on suppressed child abuse report

Written By: - Date published: 7:59 am, November 24th, 2016 - 21 comments
Categories: accountability, child abuse, child welfare, human rights - Tags: , , ,

RNZ seem to be the only ones with this important story this morning:

Child abuse report ‘shut down’

A former Human Rights Commissioner is accusing the government of killing off a critical report on the way it handled hundreds of cases of children abused in state care.

The report was written when Ros Noonan was Chief Human Rights Commissioner in 2011.

It was never published because, she says, the Attorney General Chris Finlayson did not like its recommendations.
…
Ms Noonan believed Mr Finlayson was motivated by fears an independent inquiry would expose the government to liability.

“My clear impression is that he was trying to shut down the inquiry and the report. I think, clearly, he was concerned there would be a public interest in there being an independent inquiry and the government didn’t want that. …

Read on for plenty more on RNZ.

This country needs to learn from its history – if it wants to avoid repeating it.

21 comments on “RNZ on suppressed child abuse report ”

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  1. save nz 1
    24 November 2016 at 8:18 am

    Shocking.

  2. Heather Grimwood 2
    24 November 2016 at 8:50 am

    I cannot believe that such an uncaring ( except for self) action could be taken by ANYONE elected as a parliamentary representative!!! No matter what his motives, this happening must be kept in the public notice, and I believe he should be held to account for it.

    • Draco T Bastard 2.1
      24 November 2016 at 9:38 am

      This entire government needs to be held to account for it. I doubt if it was just Finlayson’s decision. This would have ended up in Cabinet at the very least.

      We need a law that says all government funded research will be made publicly available within a month of completion.

  3. Anne 3
    24 November 2016 at 8:58 am

    I heard the interview with one of the abused children. I don’t know which was worse… the actual abuse or the way he was treated by the ‘powers that be’ when telling them the truth. In short, he was not believed and tossed aside as just another piece of flotsam in the gutter. It’s called being re-victimised and it still happens. Beyond words!

  4. Muttonbird 4
    24 November 2016 at 8:58 am

    Watch as NZ’s social harm stats rise, and our place on the corruption index falls.

  5. Anne 5
    24 November 2016 at 9:38 am

    Rosemary McDonald’s excellent comment on OM:

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-24112016/#comment-1265130

    Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford said he and a team of lawyers found the report’s conclusions were legally flawed.

    Oh yeah. So, the report was dismissed because there were some incorrect legal technicalities. Stuff the children who were abused.

    • james 5.1
      24 November 2016 at 10:36 am

      Legally flawed does not necessarily mean “some incorrect legal technicalities”.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1
        24 November 2016 at 3:17 pm

        What does it mean, technically speaking, when a bunch of lawyers make an argument?

        Nothing, until a court rules on the value and validity of their case.

        “Legally flawed” my ass.

      • Anne 5.1.2
        24 November 2016 at 3:59 pm

        OK pedantic one. (sarc) Call it technical inconsistencies or irregularities. Whatever, it is hardly sufficient to discard the whole report.

        Bloody disgraceful!

        • james 5.1.2.1
          24 November 2016 at 4:34 pm

          Actually flawed means having or characterized by a fundamental weakness or imperfection.

          So having somethng fundamentally wrong with it is prob a good reason for not releasing it.

          • Anne 5.1.2.1.1
            24 November 2016 at 4:48 pm

            It was an excuse not to release the report because they wanted to avoid paying out on the inevitable compensation claims. The Nacts don’t give a damm about victims UNLESS it affects their own…

          • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.2.1.2
            24 November 2016 at 4:53 pm

            Perhaps they forgot to ask another lawyer to give them a counterview.

            As pointed out before, courts, not lawyers, decide whether legal arguments have merit. “Flawed” means nothing. They said the same thing about equal pay until the court forced them to change their minds.

  6. tc 6
    24 November 2016 at 9:52 am

    Dont let the truth get in the way of a good smear…..its all about ‘choices’ according to nact.

  7. repateet 7
    24 November 2016 at 10:18 am

    What chance David Farrar featuring the story? (Joke!)

  8. ianmac 8
    24 November 2016 at 11:46 am

    “Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford said he and a team of lawyers found the report’s conclusions were legally flawed.”
    This does not mean that the Report should be dumped. Fix the flaws and get the facts out in the open.
    Would the Government not deal with it for fear of compensation claims?
    Yes! Look how hard they are fighting against the claims from Aged carers and the Home carers of disabled.

    • Rosemary McDonald 8.1
      24 November 2016 at 12:51 pm

      “Would the Government not deal with it for fear of compensation claims?
      Yes! Look how hard they are fighting against the claims from Aged carers and the Home carers of disabled.”

      Very tempting to wind up and let rip ianmac….maybe later. 😉

      Thanks for making this a feature post….later, when I have performed a few more of my unpaid family caring duties, I may come back here with a few more points.

      What’s that quote….judge us on how we treat our most vulnerable?

  9. Greg 9
    24 November 2016 at 1:14 pm

    It gets worse everyday from this government lies and cover up that all they know .
    But to cover up a daming child aduse that is criminal upleasent truths need to see daylight if the wrongs are to be made right,but national couldn’t give a stuff about justice or people in general
    national have no place running a. Country there not of fit character to be makeing decisions over people’s lives

    • Rosemary McDonald 9.1
      24 November 2016 at 1:55 pm

      “….national have no place running a. Country…”

      Hole in one Greg.

      But we must remember that National has got away with shit like this ONLY because of its coalition partners.

      Maori Party and United Future.

      Shame on them…and double, no triple shame on the Maori Party who have happily buttsnorkelled Key and Co and betrayed their founding roots all for a few gold coins.

  10. Kay 10
    24 November 2016 at 4:15 pm

    Nothing new here. Clark Govt also chose to ignore the damning report of the Confidential Forum set up for survivors of the mental institutions pre-1992. Most of those who testified weren’t even after compensation, just an acknowledgement it happened, and an official apology would’ve been nice. But we’re also pretty sure it was a case of the Govt being scared of compensation claims so I wasn’t surprised in the least listening to the radio this morning.

    • Macro 10.1
      24 November 2016 at 6:12 pm

      “I wasn’t surprised in the least listening to the radio this morning.”
      Nor me.
      The evil that was perpetuated on many young persons in State care in the 50’s and 60’s early 70’s would be unacceptable even in Guantanamo Bay e.g. Electric Shock “treatment”, Staight jackets in Padded cells, 13 – 14 year old boys locked up with sexually disturbed older men. I saw it all. I could no longer take my weekly “visits” as a young 20+ year old trainee social worker to these boys (around 40 of them as I recall) in ward M8 at Porirua Hospital. Who was I to argue with the medical “experts” who over saw this ill treatment?
      I recall on one occassion “escorting” a young man – he was just under 18 at the time back from the prison cells at Taranaki Police station. He had “absconded” – absented himself from the mistreatment more likely – and had been living “successfully” at “large” for a couple of months. But then he was arrested in Aro St after he had put the rest of his M’M’ flat in hospital over a grievance of some sort. He sat quietly in the seat beside me on the way back, and I often wonder why he never added me to the number he had put in hospital. Thinking back on it all now I wouldn’t blame him if he had.

    • The Chairman 10.2
      24 November 2016 at 6:39 pm

      I don’t many listeners were surprised hearing that, Kay. More like disgusted.