The Herald has reported extensively on the myriad of issues around using such statistics in political situations, most importantly that they are reports, and police have greatly enhanced their reporting methods in recent years.
The Herald has also reported extensively on the fact that the largest proportion of that increase has been family violence reports.
The Government has not only introduced new offences - such as strangulation - but also greatly enhanced the reporting and recording of such offences.
Data show the bulk of that increase in violent reports has been family-harm-related offences, increasing from 33,471 in the year to March 2017 to 50,640 in the year to March 2023 - an increase greater than 50 per cent.
Other assaults meanwhile have increased from 18,440 to 25,344 over the same period - an increase of just over 37 per cent (neither of these have been adjusted for population increases).
Yet in National’s 12-page manifesto about how to tackle crime, there is not one mention of family violence.
There are pages devoted to ram raiders and a pledge to increase the prison population by 1400 people at a cost of $718 million, but not one mention of preventing family violence.
Labour - with the Greens - launched the 25-year Te Ao Rerekura: National Strategy to eliminate family and sexual violence in Aotearoa in 2021, and has stated it is committed to continuing that work - but its full manifesto launched at the start of October makes no mention of it, nor has it featured in party election campaigning.
“It’s bloody disappointing,” said Dr Ang Jury, CEO of Women’s Refuge.
“It has been completely missing this campaign. And especially given that a huge percentage of those ram-raiding kids are from homes characterised by family violence.
“It has real-life consequences for our young people and for the rest of us.”
Jury said research showed family violence cost the country $8 billion a year.
Jury wrote to all the main parties in August, asking if they would commit to continuing Te Ao Rerekura: National Strategy to eliminate family and sexual violence in Aotearoa.
She also sought assurances of continuing support for Te Puna Aonui, the agency charged with progressing the strategy.
Act, National, Labour and the Green Party have all committed to continuing the strategy and Te Puna Aonui.
New Zealand First and Te Pāti Māori did not respond.
The Greens, whose co-leader Marama Davidson launched the strategy as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence, gave the most “extensive” response, said Jury, including a list of specific policies in their manifesto.
Labour too fully committed to continuing the work, and pointed to a range of policies it had already enacted regarding the strategy, along with funding.
National and Act both said they “broadly” supported the strategy but wanted more focus on outcomes.
Act referred to an Auditor-General’s report that found agencies involved in the initiative “have not made more progress in the way they operate” and a more urgent focus was required.
“Act will ensure funding for Te Puna Aonui results in timely action for tackling family and sexual violence and better outcomes for our communities,” the party said in a statement.
National has also pointed out that within its crime and justice policies, with reducing sentencing discounts and more focus on victim support, it would help victims of family and sexual violence.
Jury said she appreciated their responses but questioned why it was never discussed during the election campaign.
“We’d really like to see politics bow out of the family violence discussion and acceptance from all parties it is a serious issue and is going to take concerted, sustained effort to change.
“The strategy is not perfect, we are not all in love with it, but it is a strategy and does take us forward.”
She said it was critical the whole strategy was progressed, rather than in pieces.
On the statistics, Jury said she agreed with the Government that there had not been a dramatic increase, rather better reporting. But she feared with rising economic issues, that balance could start to tip.
“I think these things are fairly static, but we do know with economic stress these things do tend to get worse and while it has not really started, we are pretty sure it is going to come.
Jury said the biggest achievement had been getting the strategy going and resourcing in place, and results could not be expected overnight.
“When something has been a feature of New Zealand society for generations it is unrealistic to expect to see any change fast,” she said.
“It is 25 years and it will take all of that, and maybe more.”
