Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui. Kei konei au ki te whakarongo, kāhore he whakatau. E whakapono ana au ki tō kōrero. He waka eke now.

Victim blaming makes us question and doubt ourselves. If this has happened to you, please be kind to yourself. You've already been through enough. The blame belongs with the person who caused the harm, never with you.

I want to say how very brave you are to use your voice. It's not your fault and we believe you.

Victim -blaming is a frequent pattern in family harm. Offenders may accuse the victim of putting them in jail or destroying their life now that they have a record. It is essential that accountability lies with the offender - their behaviour, actions and choices led to the outcome, not the victim's actions

We pay tribute to the strength of victims and survivors across Aotearoa who continue to navigate the impacts of crime and traumatic events with dignity and resilience. Your voices matter. Your experiences are valid. You are not responsible for the actions of others. Whatever happened to you, it is not your fault.

What happened to you was not your fault. It makes me deeply sad to think of all the people out there who were blamed for a crime made against them. These are the people who are supposed to help us when we're at our lowest. My heart goes out to any survivors who were not given the compassion they deserved <3