Police ran into trouble serving a custody warrant
in Wainuiomata last Wednesday.
At least three Lower Hutt police officers were serving the Children
Youth and Family Service warrant and
collecting the three-year-old child when allegedly assaulted by three
men and a woman.
None of the officers were seriously injured and the four have been
charged in relation to the incident.
The outspoken Union of Fathers has seized upon the incident.
Spokesperson Darrell Carlin says he is not surprised by the men’s
reaction as police have a terrible reputation
among fathers.
“It appears police management and the Labour Government are not
listening to the growing outrage of fathers
– tragedy is the path they are choosing.” Mr Carlin says
while his union doesn’t suggest fathers take the law into
their own hands, he expects it will happen again.
In California, he claims, laws were changed in 1979 to give fathers
equal rights to their children only after judges,
lawyers and police were killed by disgruntled fathers who had their
children taken away.
“What we’ve been saying for some time is that in New Zealand
we should learn from that experience,
but suppression rules surrounding the Family Court prevent fathers speaking
out and venting their outrage in the
media.
“Add to that the bullying by police and it is becoming increasingly
clear that the peaceful road is not achieving
anything.”
However, Wainuiomata police sergeant Mike Coulter says police opinion
doesn’t enter in to it and their role is
clear cut.
“The court grants an order after considering all the facts and
it’s the job of the police enforce (sic) the orders.”
(Permission to post on Web granted by Editor, Peter Bartlett, by telephone
on 21 February 2003.)
