Abuse: 'A long way to go'

A Timaru woman who helped organise a march against child abuse nearly five years ago says a jump in the number of child abuse cases in South Canterbury may reflect more people reporting cases of abuse.

Rachel Ferguson and fellow organiser Kirsty Sutherland believed another march today could attract even more people.

The pair, along with Joy Drummond, organised the walk up Stafford St in 10 days – feeling compelled to do something after the murder of Rotorua toddler Nia Glassie and other high-profile abuse cases.

About 1000 people took part on August 12, 2007, carrying the message it was not OK to hurt children.

With figures from Child, Youth and Family revealing an increase in child abuse cases in South Canterbury last year, Mrs Sutherland and Ms Ferguson said New Zealand still had a long way to go.

"It's a topic that everybody still talks about," Mrs Sutherland said.

"I think people really feel deeply they would like to do something but they don't know what.

"I think if we did the same thing [today] we would get the same number of people."

Ms Ferguson, who is now studying to be a social worker, and is a community support worker at Kensington, agreed. She said that a march today could even get a bigger response.

"I do think people are beginning to change the `keeping it under the carpet [attitude]' but I still think we have a long way to go," Ms Ferguson said.

Led to the social work field through organising the march, she said there was now more collaboration between agencies.

The rise in child abuse cases was not necessarily an increase in child abuse but could reflect more people reporting abuse, Ms Ferguson said.

On Saturday the Herald reported that almost 370 child abuse cases last year had been confirmed in South Canterbury by CYF – a 22 per cent rise from the previous year.

To cope with the rising figure, CYF was increasing the number of social workers in the region by six.

That followed police assigning an extra detective to deal with the increasing number of cases.

Both women told the Herald if a march was to be organised again, they would both take part, and if something "really pushed that button", Mrs Sutherland said she would organise another one.

Organising the 2007 march was a nerve-wracking experience for the two women, who were uncertain how many people would take part.

Ms Ferguson said putting the march together was hard work.

"[But] it was an awesome way for us to channel the energy that we had. We were terrified nobody was going to turn up.

"TV3 had sent a reporter," Mrs Sutherland said.

"I remember sitting and saying, `if nothing else I can say to my kids I tried to do something'."

Mrs Sutherland, considering the positive effects of the march, said: "It felt good for us but you see the stats and you think, `did it really [have any benefits]?'."

Mrs Sutherland said she thought those would have happened privately with people taking home the message and thinking how they could make changes in their own lives.

"We didn't want to say anything other than we really need to remember we are a community and we are all here together," Mrs Sutherland said.

"We didn't want people marching with photos of children."

The message was that as a community "we just need to remember to be careful with each other".

- © Fairfax NZ News