The gymnastics governing body has admitted the sport has been physically and psychologically abusive, and apologised for past harms. But saying sorry isn’t enough, writes former international gymnast Georgia Cervin. Within days of serious allegations of physical and psychological abuse in New Zealand gymnastics emerging in late 2020, the sport’s governing body Gymnastics New Zealand … Read more
‘It seems like someone else’s dream of my past.’ For Emma Neale, the painting ‘Wanderlust’ by Dunedin artist Sharon Singer stirs memories of her childhood, and new understandings of guilt and forgiveness. There were gifts from my father when he came home from overseas trips. Love offerings; a bit like those a cat might bring … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Painful testimony at abuse in state care inquiry, student loan generation in focus, and hoiho breeding season wrecked. This week, public hearings for the Royal Commission into abuse of children in care have finally got underway. This is a useful backgrounder on it from Radio NZcontributor David … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: How electorate boundaries could change, plans to bring agriculture into the ETS stall, and another scandal hits state care abuse Royal Commission. Electorate boundary changes look set to make a few of Labour’s South Island strongholds a little less safe, reports Elena McPhee of the ODT. Both … Read more
One woman’s online mission to blow the cover of false prophets around the world is becoming more and more taxing. Anke Richter talks to guru hunter Be Scofield, who is determined to bring sexual abuse in spiritual disguise to light. On our first meeting, via video link, Be Scofield was somewhere on the east coast … Read more
Last night, the first part of the Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland aired on TVNZ. Katie Meadows looks at what it means for the popstar’s legacy. This piece involves descriptions of child abuse, sexual assault and grooming. Since Leaving Neverland first aired, one of the first questions to be asked in a world where Michael Jackson is an abuser … Read more
The absurd ruling that Mariya Taylor must pay almost $30,000 to her abuser, a notorious child rapist, is just the latest outrage revealing a stacked legal system beyond mere reform, writes Madeleine Holden This week has dealt another blow to anyone clinging to the idea that New Zealand’s legal system can provide just outcomes to … Read more
Healthcare workers experience more violence than any other job in New Zealand. A nurse writes about her experiences in ED wards around the country, and what needs to change. I don’t work as an ED nurse to be assaulted. I go to work to help people. Unfortunately, the two currently seem inseparable. Violence and aggression towards … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Reports detail terrible conditions in rest homes, lawyers called in over Plunket money, and Dunedin students are burning fewer couches. Rest home patients are suffering from bad care and understaffing. The NZ Herald reports in some instances residents are being strapped to chairs all day, and not moved at … Read more
Convicted domestic abuser Tony Veitch is returning to television, he has announced. Madeleine Holden wonders why abusers like Veitch continue to be given prominent public platforms. Yesterday, Tony Veitch took to social media to announce that he will be appearing on Sky TV’s new show, New Zealand Press Box. He promised it will be “a … Read more
Content warning: This feature contains descriptions, though not the details, of sexual and physical abuse, which may be triggering to survivors. When I walk into the courtroom I see the back of my father’s head. It is grey-haired now, but I still want to smash it into pieces with some large, pointed, heavy instrument. Something … Read more
‘Joining the Pieces’ at Poirirua’s Pātaka Museum is a celebration of resilience, told through artworks created by the women and children survivors of domestic violence. For Jeff Mercer, the show inspired memories of his own abuse, and reflections on how far he’s come. Content warning: This essay concerns the topic of domestic violence, which may … Read more
Rosemary McLeod reviews I Will Find You: A Reporter Investigates the Life of the Man Who Raped Her (Fourth Estate, $34.99) by Joanna Connors. Women used to read romantic fiction, the kind in which everyone lived happily ever after, following tribulations such as which dress to wear, and whether or not to surrender to a masterful … Read more