Tuesday afternoon saw New Zealand Police organising an ethnic community workshop on Child Abuse Prevention at the Fickling Convention Centre in Three Kings in Auckland.
As part of NZ Police Ethnic Wing’s regular liaising with different ethnic communities, the event saw an engaging and informative presentation by Detective Sergeant Alfred Zhou, where he spoke about the early signs to notice child abuse and how to address such a sensitive issue while safeguarding the interests of the vulnerable child.
He also spoke about the different ways that police deal with those suspected of indulging in child abuse and the New Zealand laws related to Child Abuse.
Those seen in attendance included Ethnic Responsiveness Manager for Metro Auckland for NZ Police Jessica Phuang and community leader Nilima Venkat among others.
Talking about the intent behind the event, Phaung said, “Through this workshop, we want to create awareness about what child protection is in New Zealand as many members of ethnic communities are still uncertain about where the law sits regarding child abuse and child abuse protection.”
While talking to Indian Weekender, Phaung further acknowledged that Police need the community's support to have a safe environment for the wider community. “We can only achieve a real safe environment while working with the community. We need support from community members as Police can’t do anything alone,” she said.
While making his presentation, Zhou stressed that it is essential for the community to be vigilant if they see or hear of any case related to child abuse. “If you see a child being ill-treated, neglected, or abused, do not ignore it.
The key thing is to protect our next generation so that they can live in a violence-free, friendly, and loving environment. It is our priority to protect children and not parents who abuse their children. We don’t want our generations to suffer, and it is crucial to be vigilant,” he signed off.
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