Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis. Photo / John Stone
Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis. Photo / John Stone
Kelvin Davis is urging others to speak out against sexual violence because he knows how it feels to remain silent.
Today the Te Tai Tokerau MP will launch the "Massive" hikoi, which will see him and others walk the length of the electorate over 17 days.
Massive, standing for MenAgainst Sexual Violence, was not an organisation, Mr Davis said.
"Massive is simply a rallying cry for any man who opposes sexual violence, against anybody, in any shape or form, be it verbal, physical or emotional," he said.
The hikoi will start in West Auckland on May 29 and end at Cape Reinga on June 14.
As a former school principal in Kaitaia, Mr Davis said there was a period of three weeks in the mid 2000s where he learned of 13 separate incidents of sexual violence. He convened a meeting of about 30 Northland teachers and principals, who agreed there was an issue but were unsure how it should be addressed.
Mr Davis organised another meeting for three weeks' later but it did not eventuate.
"Move on four or five years, and James Parker fell out of the woodwork," he said.
Parker, the former deputy principal of Pamapuria School, admitted to 74 sex charges relating to sleepovers with boys between 1999 and 2012.
"I don't hold any guilt for what he did, but I am responsible for not speaking out and not acting when I knew there was an issue in our community." In the past it had largely been women who spoke out about it but it was time men stood up, Mr Davis said. "If it has an impact, then next year hopefully other areas of the country will do something." The hikoi, organised in conjunction with Korowai Tumanako, will cover about 25km a day.
They have put a maximum limit of 10 walkers at a time, in order to not require a police escort.
The hikoi plans to raise about $5000 through a Givealittle page for Korowai Tumanako, which works to prevent sexual violence in Northland. Mr Davis was also encouraging people to use the hashtag #speakout on social media.
