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Earthquake in Christchurch causes widespread damage - Source: ONE News
An agency working with domestic violence victims in Christchurch says it is disturbed at police reports domestic violence rates had doubled in the city since the quake.
Liz Kinley, from Jigsaw, said today that the stress of an earthquake, while enormously devastating for all families in Christchurch, is not in any way an excuse for someone to harm anyone else in their family.
When children have been traumatised by a recent earthquake they need loving support from their families to recover otherwise experiencing violence and abuse on top of the earthquake will set back their recovery and re-traumatise them, Kinley said.
She said family members and friends who might have intervened to
stop dangerous behaviour in the past might now feel hesitant to do
so, thinking they might be over-reacting because everyone is tired
and stressed, but people should not change their reaction to
violence just because of the quake.
Social Development minister Paula Bennett today said
the government will provide $2.4 million for trauma
counselling for Canterbury earthquake victims.
Speaking in Christchurch, she said 34 counsellors from across New Zealand have been added to the numbers in the quake-stricken city.More would arrive in the next few days.
People needed expert help, and many she had spoken to had been traumatised by the earthquake and the aftershocks.
She too was concerned at police figures that showed the increase in domestic violence.
The city already has about 100 counsellors, including those from Victim Support and other agencies but it would grow to as many as 150.
The extra funds would play for flights and accommodation of the counsellors "who will stay as long as needed", Bennett said.
Being on the ground she had met many victims who feared the unknown, were fragile and the message was clear that they needed help.
The trauma counsellors would visit welfare centres, or people could call the helpline 0800 77 999 7 to make an appointment or find out where they could get help. The helpline had already fielded 6000 inbound calls with people asking for help or volunteering.
Minister on the ground
Bennett today met staff and clients at Work and Income (Winz) branches in Christchurch.
Winz New Brighton case manager Ruby Tiavolo said the past few days had been busy with many people needing food assistance as power cuts had soiled fresh food.
People were also seeking petrol vouchers so they could leave Christchurch and applications were beginning to come through for civil defence grants.
Te Kerei Moka, 25, was one of many who queued for the branch to open today.
He told of feeding his three-month son on the couch when the 5.1 magnitude aftershock struck before 8am this morning, knocking a picture off the wall and hitting his neck.
"My heart was racing," he said, adding he was moving his family to his mother's Aranui home today.
He was at Winz for food assistance, as power had been off at his house since Saturday and his family had not been prepared.
Bennett said Christchurch had 5000 unemployed people, of which 1000 had building skills and 700 had experience with diggers and machinery.
Winz would work with these people to help them find jobs in the earthquake aftermath.
She had respect for the resilience of Christchurch people after experiencing her first big tremor this morning. "Boy it was big all right, people leapt from their tables and chairs," she said.
