Media Release
22 July 2009
Youth Against Child Abuse NZ is calling on all New Zealanders to Vote ‘NO’ in the upcoming referendum on the Anti Smacking law.
This is the only way we can send a clear message to the government that the government must urgently address the real causes of child abuse without criminalizing good parents in the meantime.
“The youth of New Zealand are frustrated that the politicians are refusing to look into the real causes of child abuse. Its time the government took real action rather than merely trying to look as if they were doing something through criminalisng all good parents who choose to use a smack as a form of correction,” says YACA spokesperson Emily Peach.
New Zealanders were told by our politicians that the “anti-smacking” law would help to stop child abuse. Therefore by voting yes we would be accepting that the new law is working when it is so obviously not. In fact there is reason to believe that the new law has done more harm than good in respect to our terrible child abuse rate.
“Inaction on child abuse is just not good enough,” she says. “New Zealand’s Youth have been crying out for action against child abuse for a long time. A ‘yes’ vote says that you agree with governments continuing inaction on child abuse.”
“This is not what youth want!”
YACA calls on all new Zealanders to stand up against child abuse and vote ‘No’ in the upcoming referendum on smacking. A strong ‘No’ vote is an excellent opportunity to tell the government that it is time to properly address the real causes of child abuse in Aotearoa, New Zealand.
ENDS