The director of the Maori child advocacy organisation Te Kahui Mana Ririki says whanau must speak out when they see children being abused.
Anton Blank says one of the most troubling aspects of a case in which a nine-year-old West Auckland girl was subjected to sadistic abuse, allegedly by her parents, is the number of adults who were aware but said nothing.
Mr Blank told Waatea News that's been the pattern in abuse cases for far too long.
He says Whanau Ora providers need to consider the sort of wrap-around services for families that might detect and prevent such abuse.
