The Dominion
December 6, 2001

Abuse issues
Letter to the Editor
by Marian Kleist, Manager Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP Foundation


While having no wish to debate the details of the Prue Vincent case (November 4) I do feel moved to make some comments with regard to the general issues that the article gives rise to.

The Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP Foundation is a lead agency that deals with the effects sexual abuse, rape and domestic violence have on adults and children. We have been involved in undertaking this work for 17 years.

Approximately two out of three of the referrals we receive are for what we term historic issues of abuse: ie adults or young people referred to us because they are suffering from trauma relating to abusive episodes which occurred in the past. Often this is when they were children or young adults.

The coping mechanisms they have developed over the years are often self destructive and have also often had the effect of causing damage to those nearest and dearest and can sometimes result in ongoing abuse to others.

We are aware that when dealing with issues of abuse in children situations are far from straightforward.

When these issues are coupled with parents and caregivers who, for whatever reason, are unable to work together for the benefit of their children, the issues become even more complicated.

It is not easy work and all parties must at all times maintain their professionalism and work toward the best interests of those most vulnerable.

We will never know all the aspects of the case at hand. That mistakes were made is not argued and the professional herself has admitted them and accepted the consequences.

Rodney Hide is quoted in The Dominion (December 5) as questioning Susan Bathgate's role as a lawyer in a case before the Family Court. Again the full details of that case will never, nor should they be, made public.

We must be careful as a community that we do not make the difficulties of working in this area even greater.

On the one hand we can be shocked and horrified at documentaries, as the one shown on television last week revealed, but on the other hand we fail to accept that when placing cases such as these under such public scrutiny we can never know the full details.

At risk is the resourcing of services set up to protect our most vulnerable. The Family Court is once again under scrutiny without the vast numbers of successful outcomes from that court being noted.

We must find a way to have healthy and balanced debate about the relative merits of the services offered while at the same time ensuring that simplistic kneejerk reactions do not make it even more difficult for children and young people at risk to access the help and protection they require.

MARIAN KLEIST

Manager

Wellington Sexual Abuse

HELP Foundation