Immigrants heading to NZ ‘don’t know domestic violence is a crime’
SOME immigrants to New Zealand don’t realise domestic violence is a crime, police say.
A short film about domestic abuse in New Zealand was yesterday released by the I AM HE/R charitable trust as a way to target Asian communities.
New Zealand Police has lent their support to the film, which was launched yesterday, and features three of their police officers of Indian descent, speaking about domestic violence in Hindi, Punjabi and English.
Constable Mandeep Kaur – who speaks in the video – said they hope it will be used as an education source.
‘‘It is an issue that concerns me,’’ Kaur said. ‘‘Some new immigrants don’t even know that domestic violence is a crime in New Zealand.’’
A 2013 report by the Office of Foreign Affairs found Asian woman to have a slightly elevated risk of family violence compared with the average total.
One such victim of domestic abuse is Wendy Vyas, who was almost killed by her abusive exhusband after migrating to New Zealand, and said many Indian wives see their husbands as ‘‘gods’’.
‘‘It is always the women’s fault,’’ Vyas said. ‘‘In Indian culture, a patriarchal society, abuse is normalised.’’
Makers of the 25-minute film called Log Kya Kahenge hopes it will educate the many women from Asian communities who believe it’s normal to be terrorised by their ‘‘Pati Parmeshwar’’, a common Hindi term of endearment that translates to ‘‘Husband God’’.
Three young Waikato-based professionals are behind I AM HE/R and they’re determined to bring the issue to light in the hopes that more victims will report domestic abuse to the authorities.
Co-founder Sarkaw Mohammad said it had been swept under the rug for too long.
‘‘It is something I have had a problem with from a very young age,’’ Mohammad – originally from Pakistan – said. ‘‘We needed to do something about it.’’
It is always the women’s fault. In Indian culture, a patriarchal society, abuse is normalised.’ WENDY VYAS