Independent Police Conduct Authority Child Abuse Inquiry Part II

The Terms of Reference for Part II of the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s (IPCA) Child Abuse Inquiry have been released.

In Part II of the Inquiry, the IPCA will carry out an assessment of progress made by Police in their investigation of child abuse. Part II aims to build on the 34 recommendations made in Part I, and to further progress improvements to Police practices, policies and procedures for child abuse investigations.

The Terms of Reference for Part II of the Inquiry are:

1.1 The Independent Police Conduct Authority (“the Authority”) is conducting an inquiry into practices, policies and procedures of the New Zealand Police (“Police”) in relation to child abuse investigations in New Zealand.

1.2 The Authority’s inquiry is in two parts. The first part of the Authority’s inquiry, reported on in May 2010, addressed systemic issues relevant to Police investigations of child abuse generally. The second part of the Authority’s inquiry will address:
(a) The delays in the investigation of child abuse files in the Wairarapa which resulted in the Police operation known as Operation Hope.
(b) The reasons why no significant action was taken to address the backlog of child abuse investigation files in the Wairarapa until Operation Hope began in late 2008, given the identification of a backlog of such files by some staff in 2006.
(c) The response of Police National Headquarters (“PNHQ”) to information and publicity in 2006 about delays in the investigation of child abuse files as a result of the backlog identified in the Wairarapa.
(d) The performance of each Police District in relation to child abuse investigations.
(e) Any significant service failures in relation to child abuse investigations identified within particular Police Districts and the response by those Districts to ensure such service failures are not repeated in the future.
(f) The response of each Police District to the Authority’s recommendations in Part One of its inquiry and any other relevant changes in each Police District to practices, policies and procedures relating to child abuse investigations.
(g) The response of PNHQ to the Authority’s recommendations in Part One of its inquiry and any other relevant changes in PNHQ to practices, policies and procedures relating to child abuse investigations.

Further information, including details of how to make submissions, is available here: http://www.ipca.govt.nz/Site/Child-Abuse-Inquiry/default.aspx