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Law fails to protect women
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| Women's Refuges say protection orders are increasingly ineffective as breaches are not being taken seriously |
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12 August 2004
Women's Refuge says the law is not protecting women from violence.
A report released by the National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges says protection orders are increasingly ineffective as breaches are not being taken seriously.
It says the orders are also difficult to get.
The National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges is calling for change as the number of breaches has increased, with only 59 percent resulting in arrests in 2002 and 2003.
It shows 14 percent were cautioned, and 27 percent were not sanctioned at all.
Report author Sheryl Hann says protection order violators must be arrested automatically.
She says women no longer have faith in the law to protect them, and breaches need to be dealt with in the court system, or abusers will think they can get away with it.
© 2004 NZCity, IRN
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