Courts Don't See Less Family Violence: Principal Family Court Judge

Principal Family Violence Court Judge has challenged Police statistics showing a drop in family violence offences, saying they don't square with overloaded courts and the number of victims being treated at hospitals.

Judge Peter Boshier questioned police statistics which show recorded family violence offences reversed an upwards trend to drop by 3.1 per cent to 52,408 in 2010-11.

Addressing the National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges annual conference in Palmerston North, Judge Boshier asked whether the statistics "tell a true story".  He said there was "no let-up" in cases before courts, despite police recording a drop in offences of 10.2 per cent in Auckland and 8.9 per cent in Counties Manukau.

"I would have to say ... the sheer volume of cases coming into our family violence courts means that in some respects we are struggling."

Judge Boshier said it was crucial that police correctly recognised an incident as being family violence when they were called out.

You can read the full article via the New Zealand Herald website here. 

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