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Open Letter to New Zealand

The understandable public interest in the Phillips case has to be measured against one key fact: at the centre of this media storm are children who do not deserve to have their four-year ordeal turned into a spectacle for public consumption.If the documentary progresses – both in terms of its production and eventual airing – it will do just that, putting public curiosity and interest above the recovery and wellbeing of the children affected.Regardless of claims that the documentary will not ...

The time is now for systemic child protection change

New Zealand has never been as informed about the abuse of its children and young people as right now – which means there has never been a better time than right now to make the systemic changes required to keep our kids safe, says Child Matters CEO, Jane Searle.“In the past seven days we have seen the Royal Commission into Abuse in State Care, and the sobering Independent Children’s Monitor report into the death of five-year old Malachi Subecz.“These follow numerous previous reports and ...

Latest OT Report reinforces child safety concerns

Yesterday’s Safety in Care report released by Oranga Tamariki doesn’t offer any surprises, and has simply served to reinforce existing and escalating concerns about what the government agency is doing to protect children in New Zealand, says Child Matters CEO, Jane Searle.Ms Searle says the findings of the report are no surprise to anyone working in the child abuse sector, and the statistics quoted are unlikely to show the full extent of the issue.The Safety in Care report indicates 9 per ce...

The frontline of child protection is failing; missing statistics are just one symptom

OPINION: In May 2016, the then-government approved the creation of a new, stand-alone agency to provide a single point of accountability for services for vulnerable children and young people – Oranga Tamariki.Seven years later, despite numerous reviews and previous election promises, we are still waiting for that accountability. As a result, we are still waiting for better outcomes for our vulnerable children.For years, Child Matters has had to collate its own statistics about the number of ch...

Hutt homicide: new Government needs to show leadership around child protection

The new Government hasn’t even been formed yet, but New Zealand has already seen another needless and tragic death of a child – Ruthless-Empire Souljah Reign Rhind Shepard Wall.In 2022, at least nine children died at the hands of those who were supposed to care for them.“These tragic circumstances are a reminder to the future Government Ministers that New Zealand has some serious issues to address when it comes to child abuse and protecting our most vulnerable children,” says Child Matte...

Child abuse murder charge prompts call for politicians to act

A young woman charged with the murder of an infant boy yesterday has prompted national child abuse advocacy group, Child Matters, to ask how many children must die before New Zealand’s politicians act.On average, one child died every five weeks in New Zealand in 2022, with many more harmed at the hands of their parent or caregiver.As we come into an election year, child protection needs to be a priority for politicians, Child Matters says.Chief Executive, Jane Searle, says while communities ne...

Malachi Subecz review spurs renewed calls for mandatory child abuse reporting

National child advocacy group, Child Matters, says while they welcome today’s report into 5-year-old Malachi Subecz’s tragic death, they are disappointed the government is yet to accept all the report’s recommendations.Malachi, from Te Puna, tragically died in November last year following sustained and horrific abuse at the hands of his carer.The report examined how to improve identification of, and response to, abuse of children and young people and looked at how the six government depart...

Urgent action needed to fix Oranga Tamariki

This month marks a year since the tragic and preventable death of five-year-old Malachi Subecz from Te Puna. In the six months after his death, six more children died of suspected neglect and abuse, and a total of eight children have died so far this year. Behind that statistic are also the thousands of children who have been abused, many unknown to the police or Oranga Tamariki.As the year continues, we will hear more of the same rhetoric from politicians over the last 20 years as successive po...

Lack of mandatory child protection training contributed to 'avoidable' death of Malachi Subecz

National child abuse advocacy group, Child Matters, says the licence revocation for the daycare attended by Malachi Subecz reinforces the significance of legislating mandatory child protection training in New Zealand.Five-year-old Malachi Subecz, from Te Puna, tragically died following sustained and horrific abuse at the hands of his carer in November last year.The Ministry of Education has now formally revoked the licence of Abbey’s Place Childcare Centre after the centre failed to meet condi...

Third alleged child abuse case sets alarming start to 2022

New Zealand’s national child abuse advocacy group, Child Matters, says the rate at which children have died of alleged child abuse during January has set a tragic start to the year.A four-month-old baby is the latest child to succumb to their non-accidental injuries this month after being taken to Invercargill Hospital on Saturday morning (22 January) in a critical condition. The infant died at Starship Hospital last night (26 January).Last year, one child died every five weeks as a result of ...

Child abuse figures reveal tragic start to 2022

New Zealand’s national child abuse charitable trust, Child Matters, says the number of child abuse cases so far this year is testament to New Zealand’s horrific child abuse statistics.Jane Searle, the Chief Executive of Child Matters, says the worsening child abuse figures continue to prove that New Zealand is not making any progress in protecting its children and young people.During the first eleven days of 2022, there have been three very serious alleged child abuse cases in New Zealand. A...

New figures reveal appalling child abuse truth in New Zealand

Fresh child abuse figures, released today by New Zealand’s independent child abuse advocacy and training provider, Child Matters, reveal one child has died every five weeks as a result of alleged abuse in New Zealand this year.Nine children have been killed allegedly at the hands of a caregiver or family member since January 2021.Since 31 October 2021 alone, two young children have been killed as a result of alleged abuse; Malachi Subecz aged 5 from Bay of Plenty, and Arapera Moana Aroha Fia, ...

Call for extra vigilance to protect ‘at risk’ whānau and tamariki during lockdown

New Zealand’s national child abuse advocacy group says the importance of protecting New Zealand’s most vulnerable whānau and tamariki is as crucial as ever as the country faces extended lockdown periods.Jane Searle, the Chief Executive of Child Matters, says being in lockdown should not stop people from looking out for those in the community who are at risk, particularly children.“If you’re concerned about the wellbeing of a family or a child, please make sure you seek advice from one o...

Child protection training responds to increasing need

In response to a growing demand for child protection training in New Zealand, child abuse advocacy and training provider, Child Matters, has today launched an online training course that blends theory with the voices of people who have lived through child abuse.Child Matters Chief Executive Jane Searle says the increasing number of vulnerability and child abuse reports since early 2020 has escalated the demand for child protection training.“There is a greater awareness in the community for the...

Go above and beyond current law to keep children safe

Reports this week that a convicted sex offender acted as Santa Claus at a daycare Christmas party are yet another startling reminder that the current vetting laws for those working with children are simply not enough, says Child Matters CEO, Jane Searle.“Just following legal requirements, instead of best practice, can still put children and young people at risk,” says Ms Searle.“Even though it is not legally required at this stage, any group that works with or provides services for childre...

Mandatory Police vetting a must for working with children

A child abuse advocacy group is backing calls to make Police vetting mandatory for everyone who works with children – saying the current rules don’t go far enough.Child Matters Chief Executive Jane Searle says the recent case of a convicted paedophile who continued to work with children demonstrates that the law needs to go further to protect children.The Children’s Commissioner is lobbying the Government to make vetting mandatory for everyone who works with children, something Child Matte...