NZ Domestic Violence and Homicide

[Fantail2018]

Interesting article - I haven't had a chance to look at the database yet but note they reference there have been 700 charges for strangulation since legislation brought in.

i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/112594136/the-homicide-report-lays-bare-new-zealands-problem-with-family-violence

i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/112594136/the-homicide-report-lays-bare-new-zealands-problem-with-family-violence

God that's awful. I knew (from some of our NZ posters) that there was a massive problem with DV in NZ, but to see it all laid out like that...

Thanks for linking to the article.

More than 700 charges for strangulation since the law was brought in in November.
700 in six months. We need this law in the UK.

We need this law, but it does reveal how much men hate women in a way they cant argue with; so we wont get it any more than misogyny will ever be made a hate crime.

I learnt a new word today 'overkill'

"There's never a single cause, says Neville Robertson, a community psychologist and former senior lecturer at Waikato University. But after 30 years of researching domestic violence and working with perpetrators, he says, one common trait he's noticed among all violent men is their belief in male superiority."

..... and female inferiority. There is indeed a single cause - misogyny. They also bring up the old trope of poor menz not being able to express their feelings. I can't think of a purer expression of hatred than using "overkill" to murder your female partner. Some men just have really disgusting feelings that should never be expressed.

I was going to post this today. I’m a kiwi and yes, we have a massive cultural problem with poor attitudes towards women. I often post here about the connection between rugby and domestic violence- there’s a player who beat his gf on the street playing in the top club right now and likely going to play for the All Blacks less than a year after the assault. We are a small population with a very big problem. I honestly don’t know how they’ll change it, the attitudes are deep within the culture now, the tolerance for violence is alarming but common. People seem to care very little.

Extracts I thought particularly important:

At least one-third of Kiwi women experience physical or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and that jumps to more than half of all women when the definition of violence is widened to include psychological or emotional abuse. Police are called to an incident every four minutes. Studies show it's still under-reported.

Strangulation is an important predictor for future, lethal intimate partner violence

Last year, there were 26 family violence-related deaths; an increase on previous years and one third of all homicides that year. This year, we're on track for 32.

They also bring up the old trope of poor menz not being able to express their feelings.

Yeah that bit is irritating. NZ has had major campaigns on men’s mental health for a long time, it’s been a big topic so I’m not sure that the old attitudes are as common as they claim. There are loads of rugby players involved in men’s mental health too. Women have higher rates of anxiety and depression and we aren’t out there murdering and beating.

:(
Do women have access to self defence classes?

From the levels of violence quoted in that article, it'd take more than a few self defence classes. More like gated women-only communities with watch towers and guards with semi-automatics to keep the men out.

I've read your links on previous threads with a mixture of anger and sadness, Jessica. Thank you and Fantail, the OP of this thread, for raising awareness of this.

It is pretty stark reading isn’t it. I am so embarrassed that is my country.