jacindat9

As Clayton Weatherston appears before the Parole Board for the brutal murder of Sophie Elliott, we hear again that she was his ‘girlfriend.’ The term makes their relationship sound ordinary and fun, romantic even - as if she had met the boy next door. During Weatherston’s trial, and over the eighteen years since, media coverage has framed Sophie almost exclusively as Weatherston’s girlfriend, sidelining the fact that Weatherston was also her lecturer and tutor at the University of Otago, an...

The National government has set aside Wednesday, 12 November, as a day to reflect on the findings of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry. A time to consider the horrific truth that thousands of New Zealanders were raped, abused and tortured while in the care of the State and/or faith-based institutions. The idea of a day to remember the atrocities of the past is a good one. Taking time to reflect on the mistakes made and the scale of the harm done is a strong motivator to prevent...

For survivors of abuse, an apology has the power to validate those who were once disbelieved and to lift shame and place it where it...