'A sad and terrible state of affairs'

An unprecedented number of suicides in Wanganui this year has shocked and disturbed outgoing coroner Colin Riddet.
Mr Riddet officially stood down on June 30 but on Thursday presided over the inquests for five young men who had all taken their own lives between January and April this year.
He is due to hear another three cases of suicide (one a young female) in the next two weeks.
"I've never known suicides on this scale in Wanganui ever," he said.
"Even though one was an attempted suicide, the person still died. Very tragic."
Mr Riddet said after the third suicide this year he was worried and contacted other coroners throughout New Zealand for advice.
"Wanganui is a small place this is a sad and terrible state of affairs with all these young men."
Mr Riddet said two of the men were being seen by Mental Health Services but the other six cases were mostly people who were out working.
"They certainly were not all beneficiaries, they had jobs and were working."
Even though the eight suicides were not connected there was one common denominator, he said.
"They all had unhappy issues in their lives, unhappy issues that tragically put them over the edge."
Mr Riddet said the families of the five men aged 17, 23, 27, 34 and 39 who died between January and April had all attended the court hearing.
"It was extremely sad for everyone. I feel most unhappy about it. It's rattled me."
When he first became coroner more than 20 years ago, the deaths of young males were usually because of motor vehicle accidents, he said.
"But over the past three years the deaths of the majority of young males are now self-inflicted and I really can't say why except it is most, most disturbing."
A survey released in Parliament yesterday giving the latest results of a national survey of 9700 high school students in 2000 shows New Zealand teenagers live in a culture where violence is common.
The report Violence and New Zealand Young People says five percent of students who witnessed violence between adults at home was particularly disturbing as they showed increased rates of wanting to take their own lives and were suffering from anxiety and depression.
These children were three times more likely to suffer from depression and 28 percent had attempted suicide.
The 2000 survey, funded by the Ministry of Health was the first of its kind in New Zealand.