Calls grow for Maori action on child abuse

John Tamihere

Child advocate Christine Rankin and former Cabinet minister John Tamihere today called on Maoridom to act over child abuse.

The calls followed the violent deaths of three-month-old twin boys Chris and Cru Kahui who were taken off life support at Auckland's Starship Hospital on Sunday after suffering severe brain damage and multiple injuries.

For the Sake of Our Children CEO Christine Rankin said it should not takes something so serious to get people to address the real issue of child abuse among Maori families.

And Mr Tamihere asked what Maori leaders were doing to address the issue.

Ms Rankin said Maori feature far too strongly in the child abuse statistics and she is not going to pretend it is not happening.

"We are so politically correct and so pathetically lacking in courage, that is our problem," she said. "No one wants to stand up and be counted."

She said Maori are doing a great deal to strengthen their culture, but they are not facing up to some of the issues.

She agreed with Maori Party MP Pita Sharples, who said everyone is happy to welcome the good things that are happening - but Maori must face up to the bad things as well.

Ms Rankin challenged Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia to tackle the issue of child abuse.

She said New Zealanders are too accepting of the horrific violence which takes place in this country.

On his radio talk show today former Labour Party cabinet minister John Tamihere said Maori leaders and politicians talked a lot about things like the foreshore and seabed legislation, but very little about violence on children.

He said police investigating the violent deaths of the twins faced obstacles because some members of the family were protecting their own interests and not those of the babies.

Mr Tamihere said on Radio Live said "our Maori leadership will march on the foreshore and seabed -- 20,000 of them. Where are the mongrels now?

"We need leadership to stand up and say 'this is enough, we are not going to take any more'.

"They are hiding down in the Beehive waiting to see how this thing bounces."

He added: "Hopefully, this case won't be buried and hopefully, this case will set us on a platform to say we have had enough of this conduct amongst our community.

"Part of the tangihanga process is closure and there is no closure until the mongrels who murdered these babies fess up."

Maori leaders and politicians, regardless of their political parties, needed to bring Maoridom together to discuss the issue, Mr Tamihere said.

- NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA