Multicultural New Zealand supports call to collect data on hate crime 

Media Release   I   23 Feb 2017

updated on 04 April 2017

 

Multicultural New Zealand supports the Human Rights Commission and the NZ Jewish Council in their call for the Police to collect data on the incidence of hate crime.
The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) had called for the government to collect statistical data on complaints, prosecutions and sentences for racially motivated crimes ten years ago (2007) but a system had still not been put in place. Multicultural New Zealand has supported that call for a number of years.
“We understand that the Police have the capacity (crime categories) to record complaints of racially motivated violence and abuse and it’s just a matter of implementing the system” said Executive Director Tayo Agunlejika.“We appreciate the fact that collecting the data will not solve the problem of racially and other hate motivated crime, but it will provide a tool to measure its extent and to take action to reduce it.”
“Data collection needs to be accompanied by a campaign to encourage people to report racially motivated violence and abuse. Too often victims don’t report it to the Police because they don’t think anything will be done about it. This is despite a commitment by the Police to take action.”

 

 ENDS

Multicultural NZ: Federation of Multicultural Councils Inc. is a national organisation with 19 constituent Regional Multicultural Councils throughout New Zealand and national councils for Women, Youth, Seniors and Business. We offer a national collective voice for ethnic, migrant and refugee communities and provide advice to government and civil society on multicultural policy and practice. We work in partnership with other national organisations and foster collaboration to promote cultural diversity. We deliver a range of programmes including multicultural education and training, multicultural sports, settlement support programmes, youth activities and community capacity building. We have a record of 28 years’ successful service to the community.

For further information please contact Tayo Agunlejika, Executive Director on 04 9169177 or email info@mnz.org.nz