Justice symposium discusses domestic, family and sexual violence

A "Leading Justice" Symposium was held in Wellington on 29 April 2014. Justice Minister Judith Collins invited local and international experts to discuss a "10 year horizon" vision on justice and crime issues.

The symposium included discussion of sexual, domestic and family violence. Visiting expert Gloria Laycock, Professor of Crime Science at University College London, said violence against women is an area that law enforcement around the world is struggling to address. She said "But one of the things we do know, particularly with rape and domestic violence, there's an awful lot of repeat victimisation – the same women, rather than the man – is repeatedly attacked. So with domestic violence you want to increase the reporting rate, but decrease the repeat victimisation rate; in other words, protect every victim much better than you have been doing."

Minister Collins said:

"Too often it is women and children who are repeat victims of family and sexual violence. We need to encourage these women and children to be comfortable coming forward to report domestic and sexual violence while developing new ways to respond to, and deter, these crimes."

"I’m absolutely committed to taking action in this space to ensure far less New Zealanders become victims and to stop the needless cycle of revictimisation."

Visiting experts to the symposium included:

• Hon Michael Mischin MLC, Attorney-General, Western Australia;
• Judicial Commissioner Tan Siong Thye, Singapore;
• District Judge Victor Yeo, Singapore;
• Mr Rick Persse, Chief Executive, Attorney-General’s Department, South Australia;
• Mr Greg Wilson, Secretary of the Department of Justice, Victoria;
• Professor Gloria Laycock OBE, expert advisor on policing and crime prevention, Professor of Crime Science at University College London;
• Dr Russell G Smith, Principal Criminologist, Australian Institute of Criminology, expert on cyber-crime, organised crime and transnational crime;
• Professor Betsy Stanko, Head, Evidence and Insight, Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, London.

Update:

The Ministry of Justice has published Leading Justice Symposium: Summary of Proceedings (link to archived copy).

Media:

Leading Justice Symposium 'builds on vision', Voxy, 30.04.2014

NZ best in the world at fighting crime - expert, 3 News, 30.04.2014

Speech to New Zealand’s first Leading Justice Symposium, Beehive, 29.04.2014

New Zealand to host first Justice Symposium, Beehive, 27.04.2014