An alleged assault on a girl who was forced to wear a burqa to cover her injuries is worrying an MP who says family violence in ethnic communities is a problem that needs more attention.
The father of a 15-year-old muslim girl has been arrested after allegedly beating and detaining her and forcing her to hide facial injuries beneath a burqa, the New Zealand Herald reports.
The 43-year-old man, who can’t be named, appeared in Manukau District Court on Wednesday.
Police claim the girl was subjected to a period of sustained physical abuse.
When officers visited her Mangere home the girl was instructed by family members to cover up with a burqa which left only her eyes exposed, police allege.
They say the alleged abuse was known to people who chose not to report it.
NZ First MP Asenati Lole-Taylor says a campaign is needed to encourage ethnic minorities to “break the silence” and report domestic violence.
“Domestic violence isn’t confined to one particular culture and all ethnic communities need to be encourage to report incidents of abuse and shouldn’t feel afraid to approach the authorities,” she said on Thursday.
“There has been a lack of attentiveness from the government to the issue of domestic violence in ethnic minorities - the situation will worsen until something is done.”