WELLINGTON - A scathing police report states that the sexual and physical abuse of children is given "extremely low priority" by police chiefs - and in some areas "the investigation of child abuse, no matter how serious, did not happen."
The leaked document, Police Child Abuse Teams, written on June 15
by specialist course co-ordinator Detective Sergeant Brent Tomlinson, says staff are untrained, investigation procedures are not followed and delays are common.
"Due to homicides and other crime commitments, Lower Hutt has not had a fully staffed child abuse team for at least a year, if not longer ... The child abuse work simply does not get done."
The Lower Hutt abuse team was an example of a national problem, Detective Sergeant Tomlinson says.
The report was requested by the Crown Law Office, which is conducting an inquiry into the controversial conviction of Peter Ellis for sex offences against children.
Police Minister George Hawkins would not comment because it "was an internal police issue."
Leading criminal lawyers say the report is a serious concern with implications as far reaching as the jailing of innocent people and the acquittal of serious child sex offenders.
Detective Sergeant Tomlinson says police policy states that only specially trained staff should undertake child abuse investigations.
"This point is totally ignored by the New Zealand police administration and at the moment there are at least 30 police officers investigating child abuse with no training. It is anticipated that number is actually much higher."
It was disclosed that at least nine of the 15 police child abuse managers had not received any formal child abuse investigative training, he says.
"All the managers have clearly stated, and I totally agree, that the sexual and physical abuse of children is given extremely low priority by the New Zealand police."
Detective Sergeant Tomlinson would not comment on the report. Police acting national crime manager Cam Ronald said prioritising cases was a fact of life but denied the report's conclusion that it was a low priority.
"Like all things in the police we have to prioritise what we are doing ... we will always have to balance the resource between child abuse investigations and other investigations."
Mr Ronald said he was not surprised that so many staff were untrained in an area that involved high stress, a high workload and high turnover.
"Would you rather we left the team understaffed while we wait for the training course to come along or would you rather the person commenced and at the first available opportunity receive the training?"
He stood by the child abuse teams, which he described as being world class.
Mr Ronald would not comment on Detective Sergeant Tomlinson's statement that child abuse in Lower Hutt was not investigated, referring any inquiries to Lower Hutt.
Lower Hutt area controller Inspector Bruce Dunstan acknowledged that the child abuse team was not available but disputed that critical work did not get done.
"But the reality is that resources were stretched, and, rather than ignore the problem, we dealt with it in the best manner we could."
No investigations were compromised, he said.
Commander John Kelly, of Wellington district police, said claims that abuse was not investigated were ridiculous.
- NZPA
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WELLINGTON - A scathing police report states that the sexual and physical abuse of children is given "extremely low priority" by police chiefs - and in some areas "the investigation of child abuse, no matter how serious, did not happen."
The leaked document, Police Child Abuse Teams, written on June 15
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