November 01, 2016
Time to end sexual abuse
Te Taitokerau MP Kelvin Davis says his seven marathons in seven days has brought out more stories of sexual violence and highlighted the need for communities to address the challenge.
Mr Davis did his hikoi over the past week around Kaitaia, while similar groups did the challenge around Kaikohe and Ngati Whatua.
Like last year’s hikoi from Auckland to Cape Reinga, it gave people a chance to open up about past abuse and what they knew or suspected was still happening.
He says it’s a problem that is usually left to wahine to deal with, and it’s time for Maori men to step up.
"It’s amazing what happens when you start talking to people when they feel they can trust you. All sorts of stories come out going back decades. Every hapu and every marae has these stories. It makes you more determined knowing this has been going on in our communities for so long and it's time it ended," Mr Davis says.
He says the costs of sexual violence to the community in terms of loss of potential, damaged lives and negative social consequences is huge.
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