Media releases
21 April 2023
Media release: The Chief Victims Advisor has released a media statement regarding today’s announcement on increasing support for victims.
Chief Victims Advisor media statement 21 April 2023 [PDF, 93 KB]
8 December 2021
Opinion piece: "That's a Lie" - The cross examination of children in sexual violence cases
The Chief Victims Advisor has released an opinion piece on her report "That's a Lie".
Opinion piece: "That's a Lie" [PDF, 148 KB]
3 September 2021
Media release: Employers can support employees to be free from Family Violence
The Chief Victims Advisor has released a media statement regarding free specialist advice for employers on communicating safely with employees who are experiencing violence in their homes during lockdowns.
Chief Victims Advisor media statement 3 September 2021 [PDF, 173 KB]
20 August 2021
Media release: Support for victims during COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown
The Chief Victims Advisor has released a media statement regarding support for victims of family violence and sexual violence during COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown.
Chief Victims Advisor media release 20 August 2021 [PDF, 184 KB]
Media release: Calls for greater support for victims of crime
Findings from the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) show more needs to be done to prevent victimisation and re-victimisation, as well as support those who are harmed, says Chief Victims Advisor, Dr Kim McGregor.
The NZCVS, New Zealand’s most comprehensive survey on crime to date, was released this week and found almost half (47 percent) of crime incidents in the last 12 months were experienced by just four percent of adults.
“This tells us that we have a group of people in our country experiencing huge amounts of crime re-victimisation,” Dr McGregor says.
Dr McGregor says more needs to be done in prevention and early intervention efforts to stop people being harmed in the first place, and says there also needs to be accessible, specialist services and supports to assist people who have been victimised to avoid being re-victimised.
“As a society, we owe it to those who have been harmed to provide them with pro-active, tailored, wraparound supports specific to their needs – to not only help them to heal, but also to strengthen their future well-being,” Dr McGregor says.
“I was pleased to see that most survivors of family violence - 90 percent – were aware of support organisations available to them. Hearing that only 23 percent actually contacted these organisations, however, suggests we need to work on barriers to help-seeking.
“It is also an ongoing concern for me that just 23 percent of crime is reported to the Police. This suggests that we need to work on improving the criminal justice system from a victim’s perspective so that victims – survivors – feel confident they can report crime, receive the help they need to be made safe, and have their other justice needs met.”
The report found people aged 20-29 experienced 40 percent of crime; Māori were more likely to be victims of crime (37 percent) than the national average (29 percent); and those who struggle financially and with mental health were more likely to be victimised.
“Victims should not have a one-size fits all response. Knowing about those who are likely to be victimised means we can increase tailored intervention and prevention efforts to these groups.” The NZCVS is an annual report into the true nature of crime in New Zealand. More than 8,000 people over the age of 15 were interviewed face-to-face between March and October 2018 and asked about any incidents of crime they’d experienced in the previous 12 months.
The 148-page document is the first of three annual surveys costing $3.7 million in total. The next round of interviews for the 2020 report are already underway.
Media release: Chief Victims Advisor marks 1 year in inaugural role
Dr Kim McGregor QSO, has found the first 12 months working with the Minister of Justice as the inaugural Chief Victims Advisor to Government to be stimulating and both professionally and personally fulfilling.
The Government introduced the role as part of a suite of initiatives focused on creating a more responsive New Zealand justice system that victims of crime can more easily navigate.
Dr McGregor says it has been an interesting shift in focus from working primarily on the frontline supporting victims, to providing independent advice to Government.
'My first year has shown how important it is to have someone whose work is entirely devoted to incorporating a victims’ voice into the decision-making process,' Dr McGregor says.
'I’ve been able to contribute to a number of cross-agency initiatives and provide several pieces of advice to the Minister of Justice, including on a number of issues raised in the Law Commission’s report The Justice Response to victims of sexual violence, all in the interest of improving the system for victims.
'Over the next year, I look forward to continuing to work with government and NGO agencies to bring victims’ voices to the forefront of decision-making.
'I am particularly interested in gaining insight from research I have commissioned about data collected on victims by government, and looking closely into the issues for children and other vulnerable witnesses in the criminal justice system,' Dr McGregor says.
She also acknowledged the work of Ministry of Justice officials in supporting her in the role as invaluable.
More information: www.chiefvictimsadvisor.justice.govt.nz
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