As a young constable, I remember dealing with a particularly violent 13-yearold boy and later hearing that he had been placed in Epuni Boys’ Home where he raped a young boy. I remember thinking what an animal he was, and I doubt I stopped to think what violence he may have endured that contributed to his offending. I now wonder whether I ever dealt with his victim/s in later years and whether I paused to consider what life had dealt to them to cause our paths to cross.
I do know that several of the victims who have come forward to tell their stories of abuse were people I dealt with during my career – some suffering mental distress, several as serious organised crime offenders and more than one a serious violent offender. I wonder, would I have treated these people differently had I known their backstory? Was I fair to them? Did I add to the negative view they had of authority?
In general, I think I probably did my job fairly, investigated their offending and presented the facts to the court. But we all have bad days, and I am sure I didn’t always show the respect I should have, and perhaps would have, had I taken the time to think about what might have contributed to them being in my line of sight.
Police are criticised in the report, and while acknowledging that much has changed over the years, it remains imperative that we ensure our actions do not contribute to any further abuse. One potential danger zone is the holding of youths in police cells for extended periods. The courts and Oranga Tamariki must ensure Police does not have to repeat this practice.
Police training and our values reflect the need for empathy, to understand and consider the experience and perspective of people we deal with. If ever you want to understand how important this is, read this distressing report.
Among the report’s recommendations is one specific to policing: that Police open, and reopen, investigations into allegations of offending in care.
The implications of this will require careful consideration. On the face of it, this seems reasonable. Dealing with sexual, physical and psychological assault complaints is key to preventing future offending.
However, at a time of reduced resourcing and low conviction rates for historical offending, the Government cannot afford to make promises that cannot be kept. Victims of abuse have already been let down by the system. False promises will simply compound the harm.
This report lays bare the catastrophic damage that offending can cause, and it reminds us why police officers are so passionate about protecting victims from harm and holding those responsible to account.
We cannot undo what has been done, but a fundamental step in creating a changed future for New Zealand will depend on our capacity as a society to do everything possible to prevent any repetition of the horrors exposed in this inquiry.
