Anaru Mihaere. Photo: Ellen O'Dwyer / RNZ
The Children's Commissioner has launched an urgent nationwide campaign against child abuse, calling on every adult to "front up" to the problem.
Dr Claire Achmad said the 'Dear Children' awareness campaign, launched on Monday, called on the community to stand against physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect of children.
The campaign is centred around a letter she wrote to the 1.23 million children in New Zealand, in which she said: "You have the right to be safe."
She said she was calling on the community to sign the letter on the Dear Children website.
"It is a really strong call to action for every adult in our country in our community at flaxroots level, and I want them to get on board, sign this letter, to send that clear message to children - that we won't let child maltreatment happen in this country."
Police data showed over the past decade, 113 under-17s were killed by homicide, and two-thirds of those were under five.
The data showed a child was killed every four to five weeks by homicide in New Zealand.
Achmad said international data from 2023 showed New Zealand had one of the highest rates of deaths of children under five compared with similar countries, about three times higher than Australia.
"The first change is that really every adult in New Zealand fronts up to the fact that this is a problem. We have a problem with child maltreatment in all its forms in New Zealand."
She said there were practical ways to look out for child abuse, including actively listening to children if they were alleging abuse, as well as normalising asking for help.
Achmad said she was launching the campaign ahead of the summer holiday period, following last summer when two children in Hamilton and Auckland were allegedly murdered in the first week of January.
Dr Claire Achmad. Photo: Ellen O'Dwyer / RNZ
She said the government could continue to devote resources and policy-making to the systemic causes of child abuse.
"Things like poverty, we need to see that significantly reduced, we need to see unmet health and addiction needs - we need to see those addressed."
Eighteen-year-old Anaru Mihaere said he and his siblings grew up affected by violence. He said he thought the campaign launched on Monday would make a difference.
"I think this is a very proud campaign, something that mokopuna, rangitahi, and adults alike should sign and take pride in."
He said while his own experience of violence would take a long time to recover from, he was convinced people could break a cycle of violence.
"As someone who is breaking my own cycle of violence that I've endured and that my siblings have endured, if one rangitahi can - and thousands of [other] rangitahi can - a country can."
Rosie Overcomer. Photo: LinkedIn
Rosie Overcomer from the Gloriavale Leavers Trust said the campaign was an important step in changing the culture of violence against children.
Overcomer, who left Gloriavale in 2013, she could relate to many of the issues of abuse raised at the campaign launch. She said it was a passion for her to see the children in Gloriavale have the same rights as all other children.
Earlier this year Gloriavale's former leader, Howard Temple, admitted a dozen charges including indecent assault and common assault involving complainants ranging in age from nine to 20 years old.
Overcomer, who left Gloriavale in 2013, she could relate to many of the issues of abuse raised at the campaign launch.
"A lot of the issues inside Gloriavale, for me, growing up in there, are similar to domestic violence situations out there, the coercive control and the learnt behaviours passed down in traumatic households."
A spokesperson for the Minister for Children and for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour said the minister supported the Dear Children campaign.
Minister for Social Development Louise Upston. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Minister for Social Development Louise Upston, who had the child poverty portfolio, said violence against children was never acceptable.
She said preventing child harm was one of the three priority actions in the government's child and youth strategy, along with reducing child material hardship and supporting children and their families in the first 2000 days.
"In October, I announced that the government would further strengthen the children's system to protect against and better respond to child harm."
Upston said the Dame Karen Poutasi review made 14 recommendations around child safety, all of which had been accepted, including that awareness campaigns should be undertaken so the public knew the signs of abuse.
"I support the work of the Children's Commissioner in ensuring that all New Zealanders are very much aware of the issues and that nothing is hidden."
Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey said the latest NZ Health Survey showed unmet need decreased for both adults and children, and he expected it to decrease more.
He said the government's mental health plan was focused on faster access to support, more frontline workers and a better crisis response.
"Ultimately, we want to ensure that when people reach out for support they get it when and where they need it."
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