Ex Glenn Inquiry head launches new venture
A new independent watchdog that will act as a voice for victims of domestic abuse has been launched by the former head of the Glenn Inquiry.
Ruth Herbert, a domestic abuse survivor herself, says she still can’t talk about her time working alongside millionaire philanthropist Sir Owen Glenn and her decision to quit the $2 million inquiry in 2013, saying it was due to ‘‘a culmination of events that have occurred over a period of time’’.
Sir Owen, who was estimated to be worth $400 million in the 2016 NBR Rich List and was a onetime owner of the Warriors, launched his inquiry in 2012 as part of an $80 million pledge ‘‘to raise attention to New Zealand’s family violence and child abuse statistics and his commitment to reverse them’’.
But Herbert’s time as executive director lasted less than two years. ‘‘My decision to resign was one I didn’t make lightly, but due to confidentiality undertakings I am not able to talk about the circumstances that led me to take that decision.’’
Now she’s helped found The Backbone Collective to ‘‘wrap around abused women and their children’’ to keep them safe and help them rebuild their lives.
‘‘Violence against Women is New Zealand’s great shame, we have the highest rate of women experiencing violence and abuse in the developed world. So it’s high time we started building a system that is more consistent and powerful than the abuser,’’ she said.
Herbert, along with violenceagainst-women advocate Deborah Mackenzie and policy analyst Tania Domett firmly believe the justice system is failing victims of domestic abuse.
‘‘Backbone is a newly established independent body taking action to change New Zealand’s alarming violenceagainst-women statistics by examining the present response system through the eyes of its users – the women who have experienced violence and abuse,’’ said Herbert.
Each part of the integrated system would ‘‘talk to the others’’, sharing information about how to best to support a woman and her family. Processes that women go through after reporting violence can include communicating with the police, GPs, safehouses and family courts as well as countless NGOs and Government departments.
It will also anonymously survey its members every month, seeing where New Zealand’s current systems are succeeding or failing, and suggesting changes to those in power, creating a positive feedback loop.
Herbert believes that her experience of being a victim of domestic violence more than 30 years ago puts her in the best position to do the job.
After her partner levelled a loaded gun to her temple and pulled the trigger, she fled and went into hiding.
But after 12 years in hiding she received a phone call saying her abuser had died and then, she said, and only then, could she stop living in fear.