Govt must not scrap ACC services helping sexually abused children
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Any Government move to axe a service which helps parents and caregivers to help sexually abused children recover would be a terrible mistake, says Labour’s Victims Rights spokesperson Lynne Pillay.
“ACC has confirmed it is evaluating the future of a two year pilot programme which has focused on teaching parents how to help a young sexual abuse victim recover.
“The programme was established in the wake of international research which found that helping parents and caregivers to support young victims could make a significant difference to their recovery,” says Lynne Pillay.
“Labour is very concerned ACC Minister Nick Smith, who has made no secret of his desire to slash ACC spending, might put pressure on the organisation to add the axing of this programme to the long list of services he wants to strip it of.
“The Minister this week refused to put in place additional support for people on low incomes who would otherwise not be able to access physiotherapy services when part-charges are introduced in November.
“The inevitable result of this is that low income people, who may well become injured through no fault of their own, might remain injured and untreated for much longer than necessary and unable to return to work or be able to work.
“Nick Smith has already instructed his agency to undertake a major review of the services it provides injured New Zealanders,” says Lynne Pillay.
“He has made it clear eligibility for compensation for ‘treatment injuries’ – which involve an injury sustained by a patient in hospital - could be substantially reduced.
“Cover for mental injury suffered arising from witnessing a traumatic event in the workplace is also in doubt, as are compensation provisions for gradual process diseases or infections sustained in the workplace.
“He has signalled that a range of other entitlements are also under threat and now we discover the sexual abuse programme for caregivers is at risk. It’s just not acceptable to allow young victims of sexual abuse to have to pay the price of National’s short-sighted approach to rehabilitation.”
