Centre underlines commitment to child victims

A shared facility between Police and Child, Youth and Family in Hamilton will strengthen their support for victims of child abuse, Police Minister Judith Collins said.

The new facility, which opened today, is the latest shared agency centre dedicated to reducing child abuse, bringing perpetrators to justice and keeping victims safe.

In May last year a Child Protection Protocol was implemented between Police and CYF. The purpose of the protocol was to set out the processes for working together when responding to serious child abuse.

“Police and Child, Youth and Family deal with the horrors of child abuse every day. What has become clear is that there are significant benefits for victims of child abuse in having these agencies together under one roof,” Ms Collins said.

“This gives greater access to specialised forensic, medical and psychological services, enabling investigations to be better co-ordinated and carried out.

“It enables agencies to keep each other better informed of decisions made or actions taken, and to share information on new programmes, initiatives or ideas that might help victims.

“It means being more responsive, and putting the needs of the child at the centre of the work Police and CYF do together.”

Ms Collins said child abuse is a problem that requires the expertise, knowledge and resources of a wide range of agencies, organisations and individuals to address.

“This facility shows the commitment of Police and CYF to better deal with child abuse. It represents a promise to our children that we will stand by them, we will protect them and we will seek justice for them.”