SECTION 8 - PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN (Articles 7 and 24) A Violence, Child abuse and neglect LOIPR In the light of the concluding observations of the Committee (CCPR/C/NZL/CO/5, para. 18), please provide information on the concrete measures taken to combat child abuse. What specific measures have been taken to establish mechanisms for the early detection of child abuse and to encourage reporting of suspected and actual abuse? Please provide updated information on measures taken (a) to prosecute and punish such acts and (b) to assist and protect victims of child abuse. Please also provide relevant statistical data, disaggregated on the basis of sex and age, on this phenomenon. (Para 22) 230 The Government has set a target for the public service to halt the ten year rise in children experiencing physical abuse and reduce the total number to 3,000 by 2017. While there has been some good progress, the level of family violence in New Zealand is unacceptably high. New Zealand has the fifth worst child abuse record of 31 OECD countries. 231 In 2014, there were 3178 reported cases of children being physically abused, 1294 of being sexually abused and 9,499 who suffered emotional abuse and neglect.129 This is a decrease of 12 % from 2013 where 3,181 children were reported as being physically abused, 1,423 were sexually abused and 11,386 suffered emotional abuse and neglect.130 232 The Commission is pleased to see that the number of children recorded as suffering abuse and neglect in New Zealand has gone down for the first time in 10 years. However more needs to be done to ensure the physical and emotional safety and wellbeing of all children in New Zealand. 233 The Vulnerable Children Act 2014 provides the basis for the introduction of a Vulnerable Children’s Plan, to be implemented by specified Government agencies. The Vulnerable Children Act enables the Vulnerable Children’s Plan to include measures to improve the economic and social well-being of vulnerable children. This provides the basis for a systemic approach to be implemented, albeit across a relatively narrow cohort of children, with the current policy definition of a 129 http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1501/S00097/child-abuse-down-by-12-%-but-still-way-too-high.htm 130 Ibid. Page 61 of 93 Human Rights Commission submission to the Human Rights Committee in relation to New Zealand’s 6th periodic review under the ICCPR