We are living in strange, troubled times, times that should have us on high alert, times that make us rent our spiritual clothes and cry to the Lord for restoration, healing and deliverance.
Since the Kahui boys died in 2006, at least 95,200 children have been abused, according to Child Youth and Family.
Of those children, 761 were either admitted to or seen by doctors at Starship hospital and deemed to have non-accidental injuries resulting from physical abuse.
In 2013 alone, 166 children have been placed on the "abused" list by Starship staff, already beating last year's total of 157.
CYF's child abuse figures are also trending upwards. Notifications of suspected abuse or concerns about children have more than doubled in five years, to 150,747 alerts in 2013; substantiated reports are up 36 per cent to 22,087 cases.Did you know that 1 in 3 women experience psychological or physical abuse from their partners in their lifetime.
On average 14 women, six men and 10 children are killed by a member of their family every year in NZ.
Police are called to around 200 domestic violence situations a day – that’s one every seven minutes on average.
Police estimate only 18% of domestic violence incidents are reported.
At least 74,785 children and young people aged under 17 were present at domestic violence situations attended by police.
84% of those arrested for domestic violence are men; 16% are women.
Murders, happen and there is a report that says NZ New Zealand has the highest rate of RAPE in the world
Only 9 percent of rapes [and sexual crimes] are reported [registered by the police] in New Zealand according to government figures. Of the reported cases, only 13 percent end in a conviction.
91 percent of the rapes either go unreported, or the victims are intimidated by the police to drop complaints
So by now you must be feeling pretty depressed ?
But heres the thing… We as the church seemed to have become comfortable, complacent and established in a routine. Someone has said that Ruts are just open ended graves. But for most of us Ruts define the way we live.
We as the female clergy need to raise our voices, we can no longer keep quiet while injustice of such magnitude continues!
Pray for us in New Zealand as we pray for YOU!
Blessings
Apostle Sharmaine Dobson
