A national summit on family violence will be hosted by Justice Minister Amy Adams and Social Development Minister Anne Tolley in Wellington on June 7.
Adams says, “We know that family violence is a significant and complex issue in New Zealand, with Police responding to an incident every five minutes. That’s why I’ve made helping to reduce family violence my core priority.
Across New Zealand there are large numbers of people working hard every day to combat this horrific form of abuse. The Family Violence Summit will bring together people from the sector to continue the conversation around how we break the pattern of family violence and reduce the harm.”
The Summit will support the work already underway as part of the Government’s family violence reforms, which includes the introduction of the Family and Whānau Violence Legislation Bill to overhaul the Domestic Violence Act and strengthen family violence laws.
Tolley says, “Family violence has devastating impacts on individuals, families and communities and costs New Zealand over $4 billion per year.
Agency and non-government organisation responses are typically siloed and difficult for people to navigate between. The Family Violence Summit will aim to contribute to a more joined up sector.”
Invitees will comprise of a broad cross-section of groups involved in combating family violence including NGOs, support workers, victims, and former perpetrators.
