New Zealand Human Rights Commission Submission to the CAT in relation to NZ’s 6th periodic review Recommended actions: The Commission recommends that the Government:  commit through the Social Sector CEO Group – or another appropriate forum – to: o develop in consultation with civil society an agreed definition of sexual and family violence and appropriate minimum data set of indicators; and o co-ordinate and monitor all interventions to reduce violence and ensure that they are adjusted and extended as required on the basis of robust empirical evidence.  review Police practice and policy to ensure that appropriate emphasis is placed on prevention; and  ensure that adequate instruction and guidance about the application of section 128 and 134 of the Crimes Act 1961 is provided to the Police Child Protection Team. 69. Violence against women in New Zealand is pervasive and as Kofi Annan has noted, perhaps the most shameful human rights violation.36 Studies quoted by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (now Ministry of Women) show the gender of victims of sexual violence as being between 92 and 95 percent female.37 The groups most at risk of sexual violence are young women, Māori women, women who have been victimised before and people with disabilities.38 Young women between the ages of 16 and 30 comprise 66-70 percent of victims of sexual violence. Just under half of all victims are New Zealand European, just under one third is Māori, and just over one tenth is Pacific. Urgent and ongoing attention is required to address violence in the home and the wider community. 36 Kofi Annan (1999\0, quoted in “Violence Against Women in Aotearoa New Zealand 2009”, Herbert, Hill, A and DicksonS. Published online at http://.roundtablevaw.org.nz/Integrated.pdf 37 Restoring Soul (2009), Ministry of Women’s Affairs. (Wellington New Zealand) p84 38 V Kingi and J Jordan 2009 and S Triggs et al 2009 quoted in Restoring Soul (2009) Ministry of Women’s Affairs (Wellington New Zealand) p12 http://www.mwa.govt.nz/news-and-pubs/publications/restoring-soul-pdf 27