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Source: ONE News -
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Street marches have been organised for Monday to protest proposed changes to ACC's funding criteria on help for sexual abuse and assault survivors.
Many New Zealanders were outraged by the plans, Felicity Perry, spokeswoman for the Wellington group formed to challenge the proposed guidelines, claimed in a statement on Saturday.
She quoted Rape Crisis as estimating one in four women and one in eight men were "survivors" of sexual abuse and assault.
A national day of action against the changes is planned for Monday with marches in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.
The Labour Party said this week counsellors were warning that changes in ACC policy will limit or prevent sexual abuse victims from getting counselling.
Clinicians in Wellington are making decisions about who will receive counselling, sometimes without meeting the victim, MP Lynne Pillay said.
"Withholding much needed and deserved support from those who have suffered horrendously at the hands of a criminal is a disgrace."
Perry claimed all New Zealanders knew someone affected by sexual abuse and assault.
"ACC should be supporting them, not abandoning survivors when they need help most," she said.
"It already takes on average 16 years for survivors of abuse to summon the courage to seek help."
The proposed changes meant fewer and fewer survivors would ask for help, she added.
"According to its governing legislation, ACC should be helping survivors, not marginalising them.
"Denying survivors who refuse to be labelled mentally ill the help they need means that everyone suffers."
