Child Support Corruption

Child Support Corruption.
If child support is going to be the issue that the major political parties refuse to face purely for the financial implications of reviewing it, then it may well be the dog that bites them on the arse.
The average man suffers a harsh and destructive punishment, when he objects to child support on principle, and has his earning ability estimated so he must pay the maximum child support.
Compare this to the high paid academic objecting on the same principles, who normally would be required to pay the maximum amount of child support but is being allowed to pay half that amount.
Surely this betrays the philosophical face of the current administration, or perhaps those would be occupants of the incontestable moral high ground are claiming states prerogative.
If one hand is a false obligation surely the other is a false duty. The more pragmatic might ask - “Will the issue be ignored before the election and the corruption continue afterwards.” Regardless, such complicity betrays both a decent society and our children.
Our continuing battle to have child support reviewed will not be assisted if we either, remain in isolation and accept this sort of harassment and intimidation or if we put ourselves in voluntary isolation after accepting a state bribe.
Such situations illustrate to me a disturbing lack of unity amongst men in New Zealand and a furthering of the profound weakness developing in our society.

60% of reported child abuse false

The rather startling news that 60% of reported cases of child abuse now turn out to be completely unsubsantiated (or “incorrect” according to current jargon) gets a completely different spin in the Dominion Post story below. Presumably Stuart Birks said something meaningful to the reporter about the subject of false allegations, but it didn’t survive the editing process.

Radical femimist insistance that “women and children never lie about abuse” means that false accusations are one of those subjects that mainstream media sometimes prefers to avoid.

CYF wait list rises in capital

In the Wellington and upper South Island region, more than 380 cases of suspected child abuse are waiting to be assigned to a social worker, compared with 260 in September 2003. Of those, 312 were defined as “urgent” and 77 were “low urgent".

Incorrect reports of child abuse to Child, Youth and Family each month have soared in the past five years… with 899 cases in December 1999, compared with 2370 in December 2004. Incorrect cases are those that are investigated fully but, for whatever reason, no evidence of abuse is found. They now make up about 60 per cent of claims – compared with 45 per cent five years ago.

Ms Angus was not concerned about the growing number of unproved claims, which reflected an increase in overall reporting of child abuse. There had been a 57 per cent increase in notifications in the past three years.

“Child abuse is not acceptable and the message is getting across.”

New Zealand Father and Child Society vice-president Stuart Birks said the figures raised questions about who was reporting child abuse. Allegations of child abuse could be damaging to families and children.

Couple speak out about Victim Support

Stephen and Diane Jelicich were a couple whose split became as acrimonious as it can get.

It culminated in January with Stephen running off with their baby daughter Caitlin and hiding from police for 10 days.

Diane went back to Wales not knowing where her daughter was or when she would see her again. But the couple believe it should never have been that bad.

They told Close Up they blame Victim Support for creating the situation which made Stephen take Caitlin.

It all started on December 22 when Stephen called police claiming Diane had assaulted him and damaged his eardrum.

A few hours later police and Victim Support arrived and took Diane and Caitlin to Women’s Refuge while Stephen was out.

At the same time, a warrant was issued for his arrest. However, the couple did not signal they wanted to be separated.

While it was Stephen that was the alleged victim that day, it was Diane and Caitlin that were rescued by Victim Support.

Previous items about the Jelicich case:

• Family Court fugitives and the role of the Police
• Custody case father calls for Family Court transparency
• High Court hearing about baby Catlin today

Custody clash father tells why

An Auckland father at the centre of an international custody dispute has told his family he is hiding with his 5-month-old daughter because of an “unfair” court decision to award custody to her mother.

Police yesterday appealed for 39-year-old Stephen Paul Jelicich to contact them and hand over baby Caitlin, following a request by Interpol.

But Stephen Jelicich’s father, Paul, last night told the Herald that his son would give himself up in exchange for a new custody hearing.

Paul Jelicich said Stephen and his wife arrived home at the end of October for a family holiday in Kumeu, West Auckland.

The relationship, which he described as “volatile", soured during the visit.

“She said [to Stephen], ‘I’m going to Wales and taking Caitlin with me and there’s not a thing you can do about it, and I don’t want you to come back’.” Mr Jelicich said his son took advice from police and lawyers and sought custody of his daughter.

The case went to the Family Court before Christmas but was adjourned until January 10.

Mrs Jelicich applied for an urgent hearing and it was granted on January 6, when the court declared the case should be heard in Britain, where Caitlin was born, and awarded the mother custody.

Stephen Jelicich claimed the custody hearing was rushed and “all he wants is his day in court", said his father.

“Nothing was done right,” said his mother, Jan Jelicich.

“He was supposed to be given 48 hours’ notice [of a hearing] but because it was going to be Christmas Day he was given 24 hours.”

Mr Jelicich snr said his son was a “good father” but “the system let him down” and running was his only option.