Tauranga woman Amelia Grafas said things needed to change so that women didn't feel like targets. Photo / George Novak
Tauranga woman Amelia Grafas said things needed to change so that women didn't feel like targets. Photo / George Novak
More Western Bay people have come forward to report sexual assaults. Experts say the increase is encouraging although most assaults still go unreported. Jean Bell talks to those working on the frontline.
The number of reported sexual assaults in the Western Bay of Plenty has tripled in the last fiveyears, with experts attributing the rise to increased awareness and willingness of victims to speak out.
According to New Zealand Police data, the number of victimisations (or reports) of sexual assault and related offences had jumped from at 88 in 2014 to 269 in 2018.
Detective Senior Sergeant and national co-ordinator adult sexual assault Anthony Tebbutt said sexual assaults were still underreported with only an estimated 10 to 15 per cent of crimes being reported to the police.
While it was hard to pinpoint the increase's cause, he said the #metoo campaign had increased public awareness of sexual assault.
"Anecdotally, victims are more comfortable with coming forward to police," he said.
Sex Assault
Safe to Talk clinical psychiatry lead Dr Siale Foliaki said the data didn't suggest an increase in assaults but showed more women were holding perpetrators to account.
He said stigma and shame hindered both men and women from speaking up and police were treating it more seriously and sensitively than in the past.
He now called for changes to how sexual assault cases were dealt with in the court system.
In his view cases needed to be dealt with by one judge who made an evidence-based decision, rather than having a potentially biased jury where the woman's character could be under attack.
"Jurors often have sympathies and are not legally trained, so it makes the whole process awful and adversarial," he said.
Shakti Community Council service delivery manager Margie Agaled said the increase in reports had resulted from victims being more willing to speak openly about sexual experiences.
Agaled said sex was often seen as a man's right in some cultures.
Shakti Community Council service delivery manager Margie Agaled. Photo / File
"Marital rape is not seen as rape by many ethnic women and even if they do they brush it off as a normal part of being a couple," she said.
She said local ethnic women's involvement in the #metoo movement couldn't be gauged as many had their social media accounts monitored by husbands, boyfriends or other male family members.
Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Aotearoa national advocate Ken Clearwater said societal attitudes towards male sexual assault victims had improved over the last five years but the perception that sexual assault only affected women was problematic.
He added that the implicit message that men should "toughen up" after being abused was damaging.
"These are boys and men that have grown up in a patriarchal society where you've got to be tough and staunch."
There was a stigma around being a male victim, as they could be seen as "gay and weak" and this could lead to repression of traumatic experiences which could have disastrous effects, he said.
Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Aotearoa national advocate Ken Clearwater. Photo / File
More studies were done into assaults were a female was the victim as men tended to be seen as perpetrators, he said.
He said counsellors and doctors needed more training in working with sexual assault victims, both female and male, while more care was needed when doctors performed prostate checks and prisoners were strip-searched.
Tauranga woman Amelia Grafas, who ran the Become Aware body positivity campaign, said things needed to change so that women didn't feel like a target for assault.
"In the morning you wake up and get dressed for yourself, so you feel confident when you go about your day," she said.
"You don't want to feel like you should be scared as it does break your confidence a little - if someone is staring at you, you don't know what their intent is any more."
She thought a lot of people could relate to the #metoo campaign and it was good that it was being talked about.
"If it's not being spoken about, how are people going to know?"
Recommended helplines: ■ Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor ■ Youthline free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz Samaritans 0800 726 666 Lifeline 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) ■ Alcohol and Drug helpline 0800 787 797 ■ Safe 2 Talk sexual harm helpline: A free 24/7 helpline which provides access to free and confidential information and support to people affected by sexual harm in any way. Call 0800 044 334 or txt 4334. Shine helpline 0508 744 633 confidential domestic abuse helpline ■ thelowdown.co.nz – or email team@thelowdown.co.nz or free text 5626 ■ Parent Help – 0800 568 856 for parents/whānau seeking support, advice and practical strategies on all parenting concerns. Anonymous, nonjudgmental and confidential Source: Mental Health Foundation
