By Sue Newman   February 4, 2012

Last year 596 children in the Ashburton District were suspected victims of child abuse.

Those youngsters were among more than 150,000 children around New Zealand were the faces behind the year’s abuse notification statistics. And of those almost 600 Ashburton youngsters 92 were confirmed as victims.
They join the growing number of children around the country who are physically, emotionally or sexually abused by adults every year. New Zealand has gained international infamy for its child abuse rates and Ashburton is playing a growing part in boosting those numbers.
In 2006 there were 45 substantiated cases of child abuse in Ashburton; this year there were 92, an increase of about 110 per cent in five years. The increase in the number of abuse notifications was similar, up from 280 to 586,
Those appalling national statistics have prompted the Government to take a long, hard look how it can improve the future for New Zealand’s most vulnerable children and it wants New Zealanders to help.
It’s discussion document, the green paper for vulnerable children, is now out for public debate and submission and yesterday the Green Paper Campervan Drive stopped off in Ashburton.
Ministry of Social Development (MSD) staff were out on street corners talking to people and encouraging them to take away submission papers. And the reaction around the country had been very positive, Christchurch centre general manager John Henderson said.
“People seem to be aware of the green paper;  they may not have read it but they know what it is and not only are they engaging with it, they’re keen to respond,” he said.
Many people were taking away several submission forms to give to friends and people seemed to be quite passionate about wanting to play a part in reducing child abuse, Mr Henderson said.
“It’s very heartening to see the country taking notice and wanting to do something, but you have to get those forms in we need your ideas and your insights. Your views are important.”
The green paper pulled no punches, it talked in facts and told true life stories and that was important in making sure everyone realised how bad life was for New Zealand’s most vulnerable children, Mr Henderson said.
“We want all of our children to be loved and cared for.”
The Green Paper is a discussion document that outlines ideas for protecting children that the Government wants to test before making decisions. It outlines a number of ideas the Government believes will help improve the childhoods of New Zealand’s most vulnerable children who have childhoods where they are unlikely to thrive and from which they are at risk of being unable to grow into adults who will achieve and live positive lives.
The Government’s vision is that every child thrives, belongs and achieves.