Coral's family upset at link

The family of murdered Featherston girl Coral-Ellen Burrows have spoken out against the Government linking her death to reform of smacking.

Spokesman Neils Jensen said there was "a world of difference" between smacking and the death of Coral.

"Somehow it has been linked ... and we're upset about that.

"We're emphatic there is no linkage to be made between the honest and proper disciplining of children and the sort of violence that has led to the death of Coral and others."

This week both Prime Minister Helen Clark and Social Development Minister Steve Maharey responded to questions about Coral, who died of a brain injury, by making similar comments about violence towards children.

Helen Clark described as "damning and distressing" a United Nations Children's Fund report released last week that said New Zealand had the third-highest rate of child-abuse deaths out of 26 OECD countries.

She said: "What needs to be changed in the law is the defence of reasonable force, which is available to someone who has hit a child, and of course there are abusers who hide behind that.

"That wouldn't mean that the police would go around charging everybody who lightly smacked a child, but it would take away any defence."

Her comments were criticised by Youth Affairs Minister John Tamihere, who said it was "offensive" to use emotion-charged events around the death of a child to push a controversial political issue.

Coral's family yesterday agreed.

In a statement they said: "Most of us had parents who disciplined us by smacking when we needed it and today we respect, honour and thank them for it.

"We are about to bury Coral and in the meantime, to the Prime Minister and Government, we don't need or want your help or interference with smacking our children - when they are obedient little angels all of the time ... we will stop smacking them.

"Finally, we say don't you dare use our Coral to promote your stupid legislation."

The statement also questioned Government priorities on policies which attacked the "foundation of our society - the family".

"We need help with drugs in our communities, alcohol and youth health, education and real justice for criminals."

Coral's body was found on Friday last week, and her stepfather, Steven Williams, has been charged over her killing.

Mr Maharey said the Government never sought to link a law change with her death.

"The connection ... was made by journalists who asked ministers to comment on New Zealand's very high rate of child abuse ... The Government has not sought at any time to link its family violence policies with her death."

Other than saying she died of a brain injury, police investigating Coral's death have not said how she died, citing the need to prepare a case for court.

"Our heart goes out to the Burrows family for the loss they have sustained," Mr Maharey said.

"We would never have attempted to use the Burrows family tragedy as a platform to debate wider family violence issues in New Zealand society."

Coral will be buried today in the Waikato town of Matamata.

Mr Jensen said today's service would be similar to Tuesday's memorial service, which drew more than 500 people.

"There were family members who couldn't make it down there who wish to speak and share something about Coral," Mr Jensen said.

- NZPA