Parental Notification – Another family tells us their story….
The politicians blocked Family First from being able to submit the experiences of other families affected by the law.
But yet another family sent their story to us this weekend, and gave us permission to share it with you…
Fifteen years ago I was told by my 16 yo daughter that she had, had an abortion the year before. She had with assistance from her high school Family Planning and friends borrowed a car without holding a drivers licence and driven 4 hours to Christchurch for the termination.
As her father I was absolutely gutted.
I know that my wife and I had we known would have been upset initially however we would have come around our daughter and done our best to support her. However I am very angry that the law has denied us the right to care for my child.
At the time we had noticed a huge drop in her spirit and she had ( and for many years since) lost her mojo and we were left floundering for answers as to what was behind the cause.
The effect of having this kind of law has caused huge disruption to our family and to our marriage. This law denies the right of whanau and community to minister to a confused teenager whose main source of influence at that time of life is her peer group.
I do understand that there are concerns regarding abuse of teenage girls and the need to protect them. However from my experience the cost to my whanau has been too much to bear and left me reeling, distrustful , disillusioned and unrepresented by my Government and their Agencies. We were the ones who were left to pick up the pieces while distant and uncaring High Schools and Family Planning washed their hands and carry on spending hard earned taxes.
Surely there can be put into place counselling measures for all parties ? Or each case should be considered on its particular merits etc? Is the family abusive, dysfunctional or unsupportive ? I don’t think it would be too difficult to ascertain these things before cutting their own flesh and blood out of the loop? Rather this one blanket approach is failing many families in this country and causing much hurt and on going ripples. This law in its present form offends my mana and my responsibilities to my children.”
Exactly!
