Police believe successful prosecutions and convictions in high-profile child sex abuse cases are giving victims, and people aware of abuse, confidence to lodge complaints in Northland.
A Mid-North man was yesterday sent to jail for nine and a half years for sex offences involving girls aged 4 to 14 years, causing what the judge called "widespread devastation and trauma".
Christopher James Apiata, 21, was sentenced in the Kaikohe District Court yesterday on 25 charges - three of rape, 13 of sexual violation and nine of indecent assault - relating to 10 victims and spanning almost 10 years. The rape victims were aged between 9 and 10.
Northland police child protection co-ordinator Detective Senior Sergeant John Miller said breaking the cycle was tough but he urged people to come forward and report abuse, which more Northlanders seemed to be doing.
"It certainly appears people are more aware of the signs and that they can call police and CYF and we will investigate," Mr Miller said.
He acknowledged the support of partner agencies such as Child, Youth and Family (CYF) and said there were also more reports coming from hospitals, medical facilities and schools.
"Recent cases in Northland have demonstrated how these partnerships work well in holding the perpetrators of child abuse to account and ensuring the victims get all the support that they need."
Child abuse was "an absolute priority" for police, which had trained teams based in police stations across the region.
Five of Apiata's victims had written impact statements but they were not read to the court yesterday.
Judge Keith de Ridder, however, said they made it clear that Apiata had caused "widespread devastation and trauma".
The effects on the victims, including anxiety, flashbacks and anger, were all too familiar, the judge said.
Prosecutor Mike Smith said victims could be affected for the rest of their lives. Such crimes also had a profound effect on friends and family, "spreading like ripples that radiate out in a pond".
Through his lawyer, Doug Blaikie, Apiata asked permission to apologise in person. It was refused for fear of the response it could spark in the packed public gallery, with Judge de Ridder instructing him to write a letter instead.
Mr Blaikie said the fact Apiata had co-operated fully with police, and named victims who might not otherwise have been identified, showed his remorse was genuine.
"When I showed him the victim impact statement he simply cried. I couldn't talk to him ... Awareness of the harm he has caused is slowly seeping in. As he grows older that understanding is only going to grow more focused."
Apiata's offending lacked the "brutish behaviour", such as threats and violence, that was all too common in such cases, Mr Blaikie added.
Judge de Ridder took into account the victims' vulnerability, the harm done and the scale of the offending to set a starting point of 16 years jail. He reduced it for Apiata's early guilty plea, remorse, co-operation with police and his youth. He was 12 to 18 years old when many of the offences occurred. The end point was a jail term of 9.5 years with a five-year minimum non-parole period.
Mr Miller said he expected Apiata would have received a longer sentence but accepted the significant discount for his age and early guilty pleas.