Nicholas Taiaroa Stevens - Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

Nicholas Taiaroa Stevens was found this morning.

Hamilton Police finally announced yesterday that he was missing, earlier today his father issued a desperate plea for information and assistance with the search for Nicholas.

The volunteers who run the Hamilton Homeless Trust pointed out that Nicky wasn't homeless, but he was greatly loved by all who knew him, they've been raising awareness that he's missing for days on social media etc, and asking for information.

This message is shared from Nicky's dad - Dave Macpherson -  with great sadness.

"Sadly, we have to tell you that our youngest son Nicholas (Nicky) has passed away.

He was found dead in the Waikato River this morning.

We have just seen him, and he looks very peaceful. He had some tortured times recently, but one consolation is that these are now over for him.

We want to thank the many, many people – family, friends, old schoolmates and others that have reached out to us in the last couple of days with messages of support and hope – Nick had a LOT of friends who wanted him to stay with us and to be well; sadly that won’t be the case, but we know he will be missed.

We want to also say that Nicky’s death was preventable on this occasion, and when we have had time to grieve as a family, we will be taking this up with the medical authorities who have failed to properly exercise their duty of care over Nicky.

We ask you to respect our privacy in the short term, and we will advise future arrangements for Nicky.

Dave and Jane"

Nicky was just 21.  Hey was born in the town where I live.

In light of the recent report from the IPCA regarding the manner in which Police treated a woman suffering from a mental health condition who was sexually assaulted by a hospital security guard, who then went on to sexually assault a second woman because Police did absolutely nothing about the first complaint, and the evidence of other serious problems regarding the treatment of mental health patients in Aotearoa New Zealand, it's clear that Nicky Tairoa Stevens is not the only one who's been let down.

Nicholas Ward Harris was killed in a prison cell after he was arrested, for being homeless in Hamilton basically.  It's not just Police, it's prison staff, mental health professionals, the so called justice system and the Courts, vulnerable people are being let down right across the board, while the meagre, taxpayer funded resources that are supposed to be spent treating, helping, supporting people who genuinely need care, are instead being spent on corrupt persecutory vendettas.

UPDATE - 16 March 2015:

Kia Ora whanau - as I have posted all week re Nicky - I would like to inform you of a public statement made by Nicky's whanau - I would also like to acknowledge the whanau for what they have gone through and are going through at this time , Nga mihi Alvina, Hamilton Homeless Trust.

Shortly after Nicky died his family began to speak up about what was happening to them, and they're co-ordinating discussion and constructive action among others who've been treated the same way and other human beings with basic empathy.

Nicholas Taiaroa Macpherson Stevens, 26.4.93 – 9.3.15 

A Preventable Death 

The Victim of Medical and Bureaucratic Malpractice 

Public Statement by his parents Jane and Dave, and brother Tony. 

~ 

Our family completely rejects a Waikato Hospital’s sham ‘investigation’, and calls for Hospital authorities to be held accountable by an independent investigation. 

Our son’s death was preventable, had proper and common sense procedures been followed. 

The day following the discovery of our son’s body in the Waikato River, our family received an email letter from the Waikato Hospital Manager stating the Hospital was going to conduct a 70-day internal investigation into the “service and care delivery issues” that the family had raised BEFORE Nicholas’ body was discovered. 

A mid-level manager of the Hospital was to conduct the ‘investigation’ – and the family was not asked for input into the personnel or brief for the investigation, and was told in the letter it would be offered “an opportunity to meet and discuss the findings following “ its completion. 

We will not participate in such a sham ‘investigation’. 

We demand a complete, independent investigation run totally outside Waikato Hospital, where the family has opportunity for input at all stages. Waikato Hospital should initiate and pay for this. 

The Hospital letter also refused us access at this point to documents showing communication between the Hospital and Police following the discovery that Nicholas had gone missing. 

FACTS ABOUT NICHOLAS’ CARE AT WAIKATO HOSPITAL

Nicholas was in Hospital under a compulsory care order under the Mental Health Act. He was admitted less than 3 weeks before his death after trying to commit suicide, requiring several hours of urgent surgery – which the family was not told about for several days. 

Against strong and repeated opposition from the family, Waikato Hospital granted Nicholas ‘unescorted leave’ from the Hospital grounds. 

The family warned Waikato Hospital staff and management on a number of occasions that Nicholas was in high danger of harming himself again.  

He had described to family members and friends two other suicide attempts while in Hospital on ‘unescorted leave’ – these had been passed on both to Ward staff and to management. 

Hospital authorities chose not only to ignore our opposition to ‘unescorted leave’, but planned to extend it on the very day he disappeared. 

When he disappeared, he was on his second period of unescorted leave in less than 2 hours. Nicholas’ care Management Plan stated that leave was for a maximum of 15 minutes – it seems he was absent for at least 90 minutes before he was discovered missing.  

He was only discovered missing when friends came to see him and he couldn’t be found. 

CCTV footage of the Henry Bennett Centre entrance and lobby show Nicholas being in the vicinity, going in and out of the door for a period well after his leave period ought to have expired. 

There is no (active) system of keeping records as to when patients in the Henry Bennett Centre go on leave, escorted or unescorted, or when visitors enter or leave the Wards. 

Nicholas’ situation is not the first instance like this at Waikato Hospital.

Had Nicholas been on escorted leave, as his family stated was the only safe option at that time, he would almost certainly have been alive today. 

Failing that, had his leave maximum period of 15 minutes been adhered to, and staff been sent to look for him, again Nicholas would almost certainly have been alive today. 

It is for these and other reasons that we assert malpractice on the Hospital’s part.

When he was discovered missing, Police tell us that the missing notice received by Hamilton Police from the Hospital did not mention anything about a suicide alert, or any danger to his health. 

Police therefore did not accord the report any high priority, and in fact did not even contact the family until almost two days after Nicholas’ disappearance – despite us lodging with their website missing person’s report system (we could not get to speak to ANY officer) our extreme concerns about his safety. 

We were finally contacted by Police AFTER we sent emails of complaint to the Minister of Police, the Police Commissioner and the District Commander of Police. They have claimed that timing is a coincidence. 

We believe the Police should be far more proactive when first receiving ANY such missing persons reports – this is not the first case where very prompt action may have prevented a disaster. 

We stress however that in no way do we blame the Police for what has happened, and we would like to especially thank Det Stephen Stokes for the sympathy and support he has shown us. 

The farewell service for Nicholas will be held at the Hamilton Gardens Pavilion, at 11am on Wednesday 18th March. 

Dave Macpherson

Dave Macpherson, Jane Stevens, Tony Macpherson-Stevens 

021-477 388 dave.macpherson@xtra.co.nz

There is no "compulsory care order" under the Mental Health Act.

There is a Compulsory Treatment Order though.  It's under Part 2 of the Mental Health Act, from section 17,  section 28 states this:

Every compulsory treatment order shall be either—
(a)  a community treatment order; or
(b)  an inpatient order,—
- and on making a compulsory treatment order the court shall specify the kind of order it is.

Section 31 establishes the Responsible Clinician as the person responsible for granting leave.  Certain so called responsible clinicians are extremely irresponsible indeed.  It hasn't been established who is culpable for the death of Nicholas Taiaroa Macpherson Stevens yet, but questions have most certainly been raised - the unacceptable thing is, that they were raised a long time ago, they've been repeatedly raised for a very long time.  Nothing was done about it.

Dave Macpherson said the family had written to the hospital at least 12 times before and after Stevens went missing, expressing "real concerns" about his care.

"What we're saying to the hospital is 'we've done the complaints, you didn't respond, and it's too late for an internal investigation'," he said.

The family wants Waikato DHB to call in the Health and Disability Commissioner or a similar independent body to head the investigation and wish to be consulted on the inquiry's brief.

Since Stevens' death, David Macpherson had been contacted by members of the public expressing concern about the care their family members had received at Waikato Hospital.

"We're more familiar with bureaucracies and systems than most people and we still couldn't make it work for our son. What hope have people got without our backgrounds?"

Good question.

In recent weeks the stain of Nicky's death has spread and darkened.

Jane, Dave and Tony are speaking up and calling for accountability, and being opposed and hindered by a system that is seriously dysfunctional now, due to the years and years of erosion of integrity, competent management and governance, and basic humanity, logic and fairness.

The Health and Disability Commissioner is in the business of 'resolving' complaints by employing strategies of 'damage control' - minimising complaints and fabricating excuses for the perpetrators instead of removing them from the system and forcing them to get a job in the real world - if they can.

Renee Maurice, a talent worth watching:

This song was written by 15 year old Renee Maurice in 2009, because she wanted to express how she felt about child abuse, following the deaths of more babies and children in New Zealand as a result of violence and abuse. Do yourself a favour and listen to it sometime, and think about it. We have one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, support Transparency NZ and Renee Maurice to change things - this young woman needs to be heard more widely, how about donating her some money and sending her an encouraging message, more at this link.



Renee didn't stop there either - here's some more of this inspirational Kiwi talent:

What a wonderful young woman.

Here's the link to Renee's website.

Chelsea Brindle Thabrew

Chelsea Brindle Thabrew, 8. January 1977 - 29 March 2010

"Chelsea, to her family and friends, was firstly a lover of nature. Barefooted, shy, freespirited, observing the little things in a bigger world, mending a broken wing, hatching a duckling, nurturing her chickens, plucking tiny wildflowers and looking up their names. Admiring dewdrops captured in the petals of a flower, untangling hedgehogs from the fishing netting of the tennis court. Exploring, learning, and investigating and always asking why?

Her first degree, a master's in biology was followed by her first real job, research into the co-dependence of native mistletoe and bell birds. Based in the Canterbury bush, they were some of the happiest days in her busy life. She was amazed when her findings were included in a publication. Such was her modesty.

She was sensitive, observant, insecure, artistic and creative, quiet, and contemplative, modest and private. Popular, loyal, quaint, quick witted and quirky, and funny. A great and fast talker! She loved learning, loved drawing, loved creating small whimsical gifts. She loved music and reading and always the wandering and exploring.

As a doer, always doing, she was attuned to the needs of others, and her passion for cooking and baking resulted in little treats for friends in need of nurturing. Beautifully packaged and presented. She was fastidious - a perfectionist.

Then came medicine, and she adored it all. The hands-on with patients, the research, and always the learning, the why? It was as a house surgeon that she met Hiran, a paediatrician retraining as a psychiatrist, and was completely blown away by him. Courtship followed and she knew he was the one.

Travel became a passion as she immersed herself in diverse cultures, soaking up the colours and smells of life. She couldn't get enough. The joy she showed that she had found her soul mate in Hiran was there for all to see. She glowed, she blossomed. She was so proud of him, in awe of him and she told us she never really felt worthy of him. In her, he saw not only the beautiful girl she was, but her inner potential, buried under layers of self doubt.

Try as she did to become the whole person for him, and for herself, she felt the continual failure and emotional conflict that ensued, as torment that would forever frustrate and hurt her beloved Hiran.  She loved him above all else, and the knowledge of the pain and anguish that their differences were causing was more than she could bear. As a deeply loving and private person she felt disloyal discussing their tragic situation.

To free her Hiran of this burden, Chelsea took her life in the tragic belief that it would make life better for the one she loved beyond beyond. How wrong she was.

Chelsea was cremated barefooted, wrapped in the vibrant quilt made for her twenty first birthday by the twenty-one most significant people in her life up to that time.  'Bear Bear' snuggled in beside, and a pair of elegant 'heels' from Hiran -just in case."

That was copied directly from the obituary on the Canterbury University website.

Chelsea Brindle Thabrew was the wife of Dr Hiran Thabrew, who knowingly signed a form committing me to a mental hospital under a Compulsory Treatment Order, when he knew full well that there was nothing wrong with me, and that the process was corrupt.  Either Dr Thabrew wouldn't know mental illness if he fell over it, or he is a deliberately sadistic psychopath who should not be 'practising' medicine.  The written reports of his colleagues (links below) speak for themselves, and are indisputable evidence of these claims.  The irony is tragic and I feel very deeply indeed for the family of Chelsea Brindle Thabrew.  

Shortly before her death she spoke of how "her husband was finding the burden of her almost too much", and that they had also had a brief time apart.  

Chelsea had been taking the drug fluoxetine, prescribed for her depression.  Medication doesn't always fix depression - addressing the causes of it usually does.

Interested persons can write to Coronial.Information@justice.govt.nz and request a copy of the Coroner's findings on the tragic death of this lovely young woman, who had her whole life ahead of her.  Certain parts of the report are under a Court suppression order, other parts are just too sad and too personal for such a private woman to be repeated here.

I only mention that 'coincidence' because of comments made recently by the Coroner regarding another local suicide, and my deep concern at the way mental health "care" is being delivered in New Zealand, and who is delivering this mental health "care", and the chilling and indisputable evidence that my incarceration was a corrupt, sadistic and politically motivated effort to 'shut me up' for criticising local police and politicians - as Dr Justin Barry-Walsh confirms in his report, as well as a number of senior lawyers.  There are links to these reports and letters in the final paragraph below.

The Hutt Valley mental health services are the subject of a "secret inquiry", because of all the suicides that occur under their watch.  

The results of that inquiry are not inspiring.

Then there's the Linda Astor fiasco, and the question, how could not one of Linda Astor's colleagues have noticed that Astor was not only not a woman, but not a psychiatrist either?  Not very observant at all.  Walter Freeman conducted thousands of brutal lobotomies, with ice picks, before his peers spoke up and stopped him.  So called 'psychiatrists' like Hiran Thabrew, Brenda Sally Rimkeit, Jacqueline Short, Sarah Romans, Gary Orr, and others are very dangerous individuals indeed.  All showed they were corrupt to the core regarding my unlawful detention.  The Health and Disability Commission, Ombudsmen's Office and other taxpayer funded organisations are dysfunctional - incompetent and corrupt, and consequently massively overworked - and changes to the justice system, administration of legal aid, access to the Family Court, etc, have eroded justice in New Zealand beyond the low standard already evident for years.  Letters from senior lawyers confirm that access to justice is now almost non existent.

The Day of One Love. One Life.

"Once I understood each word the caterpillar said
Once I smiled in secret at the gossip of the Starlings
and shared a conversation with a housefly in my bed
Once I heard and answered all the questions of the crickets
and joined the crying of each falling dying flake of snow,
I once spoke the language of flowers.
How did it go?
How did it go?"
       - Shel Silverstein

When the sun came up today the lives of many people were changed forever.

Less than 24 hours ago, Ceridwen Claire Allom was living and breathing and laughing, and riding her bike.  News of her death has taken my breath away and struck deeply into my heart, which bleeds for her brothers, her mother, her grandparents and great grandparents, and all her friends and the many, many people who loved her.

There will be more written here about this, but now's not the time.   For today, Ceri's pictures and her friend's songs can tell the story of a beautiful young woman, an original. My heart is with her family and friends today.  This was one of the last things Ceri posted on her facebook page:

This one from Ceri's mum;

I remember the complete and utter desolation, devastation, when my brother died, how much I just wanted to fix it, like we want to fix dear, sweet little Ceri. How hard it was to sleep, how much you come to treasure those few, precious seconds every morning when you wake, before you remember again.

Here's a little bedtime story, The Fisherman and his Soul, by Oscar Wilde, who wrote some of the most beautiful children's stories you've ever heard (and you probably have heard one or two of them, and just not realised they were written by Oscar Wilde).   Chapter 33 goes like this:

"And as he spake there came a great cry of mourning from the sea, even the cry that men hear when one of the Sea-folk is dead. And the young Fisherman leapt up, and left his wattled house, and ran down to the shore.  And the black waves came hurrying to the shore, bearing with them a burden that was whiter than silver.  White as the surf it was, and like a flower it tossed on the waves.  And the surf took it from the waves, and the foam took it from the surf, and the shore received it, and lying at his feet the young Fisherman saw the body of the little Mermaid.  Dead at his feet it was lying.

Weeping as one smitten with pain he flung himself down beside it, and he kissed the cold red of the mouth, and toyed with the wet amber of the hair. He flung himself down beside it on the sand, weeping as one trembling with joy, and in his brown arms he held it to his breast. Cold were the lips, yet he kissed them. Salt was the honey of the hair, yet he tasted it with a bitter joy. He kissed the closed eyelids, and the wild spray that lay upon their cups was less salt than his tears.

And to the dead thing he made confession.  Into the shells of its ears he poured the harsh wine of his tale.  He put the little hands round his neck, and with his fingers he touched the thin reed of the throat. Bitter, bitter was his joy, and full of strange gladness was his pain.

The black sea came nearer, and the white foam moaned like a leper. With white claws of foam the sea grabbled at the shore.  From the palace of the Sea-King came the cry of mourning again, and far out upon the sea the great Tritons blew hoarsely upon their horns."

And that's how it feels. It's not pretty. It hurts the people you leave behind, the ones you love the most, brothers, mothers, fathers, uncles and aunties, cousins, grandparents, great grandparents - it was so surreal, meeting Ceri's great grandparents - it hurts more than anything, and the terrible images of the discovery, and the utterly unbelievable reality, cannot ever be washed away from the memory. Imagine seeing your beautiful sister like that.

Death is forever, it's final, we know that much, and that's all we really know for sure. You can't undo it, you can't fix it, you can't come back. On the official form certifying the death someone has to identify the person. When my brother died, it was my sister. On the form it had the question "How long have you known the deceased? The answer, in little handwriting, "All my life." The pain my sister and I feel, the pain Ceri's mum and dad and brothers, grandparents, great grandparents, all her friends feel, so strong it's almost overwhelming. 

Ceri's gone where we can't find her now, where we can't fix her, no matter how much we want to, or how much we love her.  Life is for living.  And it's so short anyway - just a tiny insignificant speck in the great scheme of things, but while it lasts it's magic, it's a wonderful gift from the Universe, it's Paradise, right here, please, please, please don't waste it. Spend it having fun with your friends, or travelling the world, do what you love.  Don't do this to the one's you love.

We have an epidemic in this country. Wairarapa has for several years had twice the national rate of self inflicted death, in a country with the highest rates in the world. Every few weeks another family, and all the friends at all the schools, have to go though this.  More will be written about this matter in due course, and we must remember that there has been no formal decision regarding the cause of death of Ceridwen Claire Allom yet, and there may not be for some time.

Meanwhile, here's another of Ceri's favorite songs, thanks to her friends for sharing the love, a sweet little song for a sweet little lady who had great taste in music. 

  Link to Ceri's Tribute Book.

. . . and another song, because music heals the soul (even birds singing).

Ceri's friend Zoe sang Elton John's Tiny Dancer like an angel for her friend, her fingers resting on the white wooden box with her friend inside, but her voice never faltered in it's sweet purity and strength, in that little chapel full of broken hearts.  It soared above and around all of us, and filled up the room to overflowing with love, for a little bird forever silenced now.  

No words can describe the utter perfection of Zoe's singing, which still echoes in my heart, or the utter desolation in the hearts of her friends and family as we stood and sat in the little chapel and listened to it fill up the silence and drown out the sound of all the weeping.

The story of Ceridwen, the Goddess of White Words, Ceridwen's Cauldron of Divine Knowledge, Wisdom, Rebirth, and Inspiration, represents regeneration in the womb of the Goddess.  According to the legend, the name of Ceridwen's Cauldron was Amen, and its transforming magic was said to happen through change, experience and divine inspiration. So, from the passing of Ceridwen Claire Allom was born the Circle of Love, part of the FOCCCers, Friends of Caring Communities, committed to addressing the epidemic of youth suicide, child abuse and lack of adequate care that's plagued the Wairarapa for far too long, and committed to preventing it.

Ceri's short life was so full of love and laughter, and she touched so many hearts.

The story of Ceridwen's Cauldron speaks of the Cauldron representing the womb, the Holy Grail, the source of Love.  

Her mummy bore her, and brought her into the world, and loved her more than anything.   It took six men to carry her outside into the sunshine yesterday.

Ceri was just fifteen years old.  She'll always be just fifteen years old. 

 That's just not right.  Too many of our young people are at risk, and next to NOTHING is being done about it.

The message being delivered locally to people at risk is "Talk to someone" - unfortunately the standard of the "someones" involved in the many local "community organisations" is lacking in quality, integrity, common sense, empathy, and other vital qualities, and the sound of silence is deafening.

Mental health services are particularly lacking. There is a lot more information on this site about the causes and the factors contributing to the shocking death rates, but this is about One life, Ceridwen Allom's short, sweet, life. 

I was employed as a Boarding Matron at St Matthews Collegiate, where Ceridwen attended when she lived in Masterton.

One of the people who deserves special commendation in this community is the Deputy Principal of St Matthews Collegiate, Julie Holdsworth.

I'll refrain from commenting here on some of the other staff of St Matthews, or the Board of Trustees, but St Matthews is very fortunate indeed to have Julie Holdsworth.

After the service for Ceri, in the little chapel at the funeral directors, after all the purple balloons had drifted away, we went to St Matthews for a cup of tea.  The Principal and others had been at the service, but they weren't to be seen at the school afterwards, instead Deputy Principal Julie Holdsworth greeted everyone and presided over the occasion in her usual impeccably (and naturally) warm and graceful manner - we were a bit of a motley, 'colourful' crew, and it was an extremely emotional time, but Julie Holdsworth has a gift for empathy, healing, listening, facilitating growth, growing potential, emanating compassion, and Julie Holdsworth made us all feel very welcome.   Julie Holdsworth is the sort of person Ceri might have grown up to be.  It was a very special communion in honour of a very special little lady, who broke our hearts without realising it.

Cloudy Williams short, sweet life, the unspeakable tragedy of her death, and the eternal aftermath of a momentary decision:

Cloudy Williams

Nearly three years after her death, an inquest for Cloudy Williams will be held in the Whangarei District Court on 15 December 2010.

Cloudy died alone, waiting for an ambulance that never came.  She didn't want to die - she sent a number of messages to a number of people, but tragically, none were received or acted on in time, and Cloudy Williams died alone, at approximately 9 pm on a summer's eve, the 28th January 2008, in a secluded but rather beautiful spot at the end of Ngunguru Rd in Northland.

Cloudy wasn't found until the next morning.  The key of the car had been switched off, and the messages asking for an ambulance to be sent were discovered on her phone, but by the time the sun came up it was too late for Cloudy, too late for all those who loved her, to late to fix anything or change anything, too late to do or undo anything.  The pain of those who love Cloudy is indescribable, like the utter desolation, devastation, of their loss.

Following the suicide of her daughter, Cloudy’s mother Deb Williams was actively discouraged by the Coroner’s office from having an inquest. She was told very few people bother and that it wasn’t necessary. Deb however thought differently. “How can it not be of the utmost importance to investigate why eleven people a week are killing themselves in New Zealand, and why we have a rate of youth suicide double that of the US and Australia?”  (In the Wairarapa, where I live, we've had over twice the national average for several years, in a country with some of the highest rates of suicide in the world.

Deb Williams considers that any lessons learned from her daughter’s death can directly prevent suicide in other families.

Despite huge barriers to investigating Cloudy’s death having been put in her way by the Court, and with her experience of pre-inquest process as abusive and unsympathetic, she has not wavered in her commitment to having her daughter’s death investigated.

“There are so many unanswered questions around suicide which require investigation. What contribution does childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, the depressive effects of hormonal contraceptives and relationship break ups make to suicide? What do families need to know and do to keep their children safe? How should the police investigate suicide to ensure Coroners have all the information on which to make recommendations for change?”

In Ms Williams’ case there was very little scene investigation and virtually no investigation into the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death till 8 months later when she approached the Whangarei Police directly. She considers that by not collecting her daughter’s phone records and computer history, valuable evidence was irretrievably lost. Most witnesses were not interviewed until a year after the death and for some it was almost 3 years later. The police job sheets were dated over a year after Cloudy’s death. Ms Williams will present evidence on these issues to the Court during the inquest.

“It’s been hard,” Ms Williams stated. “The Court had repeatedly declined my requests to obtain information about Cloudy’s health at the time of her death. They have refused to request information on the prescription medicine found in the car in which she died. They have discussed information on whether my daughter was pregnant at the time of her death with other witnesses but refused to discuss it with me.” Ms Williams repeated efforts to obtain files and court records about her daughter’s childhood traumas have also been meet with silence and inaction. Ms Williams asks, “How will we ever uncover the causes and develop effective strategies to prevent suicide if we don’t collect data that may be a factor in suicide?”

As late as two days ago the Coroner decided that a series of photographs of Cloud’s life from babyhood until when she died, be vetted against section 79 of the Coroner’s Act to determine relevance. “I just want to show a tribute of my beautiful daughter and show the court Cloud is a real person, not just a statistic.”

Deb Williams, with the pictures of her daughter Cloudy that the Coroner didn't want to see. 

“There is certainly no focus on seeing a loved one as a real person or supporting families through inquest and no recognition of the emotional trauma their processes heap on top of the trauma of losing your child,” Ms Williams said.

Local Coroner Brandt Shortland has invited the Chief Coroner to hear Cloudy’s inquest and has invited Ms Williams to make submissions on the reporting of suicide.

On 12 August this year – Cloudy’s birthday – the Chief Coroner expressed a view that it may be time to lift the restrictions on reporting suicide in NZ and start talking more openly about the subject. The same day, Ms Williams and another mother who had lost a child to suicide launched CASPER a group that supports families bereaved by suicide to promote change to NZ’s approach to suicide prevention.

CASPER is strongly of the view that suicide flourishes in secrecy and that information and informed discussion, combined with collecting much more comprehensive data such as prescription drugs, financial difficulties, childhood sexual abuse, relationship issues and gender is necessary to reduce suicide.

“We have the most restrictive regime in the world in relation to suicide reporting and the highest rate of youth suicide. Silence hasn’t worked and its time those who have a vested interest in it like SPINZ and the Ministry of Health admit their approach has failed and support change” Ms Williams says. The Ministry’s guidelines on media reporting were published 11 years ago. They rely on outdated research and fail to take account of more recent studies that reject theories of copycat suicide and find evidence of real benefits in more openness around suicide.

In addition to media reporting, Ms Williams will provide the coroner with information on the harm done to families when they are legally prevented from talking about the suicide of a loved one. “Families need to talk about what happened, they want to use social networking sites to reach out to others, they want to use their experience to warn other families. There is good evidence that all of these activities have benefits for families and communities and can prevent suicide. In New Zealand however these things are offences under the Coroner’s Act with breaches attracting fines of $1,000 - $5,000. “We applaud families who engage in the prevention of deaths from domestic violence, child abuse and alcohol abuse but why criminalise those who do the same for suicide? If 10 deaths a week are not sufficient for an admission that current policy is not working I don’t know what is.”

Currently there is a 2-year lag on reporting suicide figures with the next report due out a few days before Christmas. Ms Williams asks, “If the Chief Coroner can release more current suicide figures, why do we have to wait this long for the Ministry to do the same?”

In the case of road traffic deaths there are specialist road crash investigators and figures are released almost on a daily basis. We don’t have any billboards for suicide, we don’t get to talk about it and the average New Zealander doesn’t know we have such a huge rate of suicide. “The rate of suicide is 50% higher than car accidents,” Ms Williams says. “I always worried about my kids having a car accident, I didn’t know anything about suicide rates in NZ. I was shocked to find that Whangarei has the second highest rate in NZ. If this isn’t a silent epidemic then I don’t know what is?”

Cloudy

There is evidence that Cloudy tried to change her mind; that's the worst part of this whole tragedy.  Her mum wants others to learn from this and so do I, so we don't lose any more beautiful children like this, let down by a system who we pay taxes to to protect us and our families, and who are failing us, our children, and the most vulnerable in our society miserably.

Cloudy Williams

After double checking with Coronial Services, I received permission from the Chief Coroner to publish his decision in full.  Here it is.  There's more to the story of how and why Cloudy died, but this is the official version, in full:

Hikoi of Hope: the Encounter at Parliament

Hikoi of Hope: the Encounter at Parliament

By Hikoi of Hope /

On the 1st October 1998, the Hikoi reached Wellington and presented itself to Parliament…

The Church’s Letter as Presented to Parliament (and accompanied by the Stories gathered on the Hikoi):

An open letter to all Members of Parliament.

We, the members of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia having made our Hikoi to our Parliament in Wellington, present the attached concerns and supporting stories for your consideration and response. We have been supported on the Hikoi of Hope by representatives and members of many churches and community organisations and have been accompanied on the road and in towns by a wide spectrum of New Zealanders.

Many thousands of New Zealanders have participated in the Hikoi of Hope: Te Hikoi mo te Tumanako mo te Rawakore. Those who have taken part have urged us to carry to Parliament the same message: that the level of poverty in New Zealand is intolerable and urgent solutions must be found.

We believe the Church is called by God to demonstrate concern for the disadvantaged and we do not intend to neglect this calling. Our social service agencies and those of our ecumenical partners are responding to an increased demand for services. The 53rd General Synod/te Hinota Whanui of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia initiated the Hikoi of Hope in response to the deep concern expressed by Anglican Social Services to the General Synod. These concerns have been confirmed by personal stories recounted on the Hikoi journey. We have heard how New Zealand’s recent programme of economic and social reform has impacted harshly on many of the most vulnerable in our society.

The Anglican Church, alongside our ecumenical partners, has a huge involvement in and commitment to, the delivery of social services. We speak from experience. However our role is not just to deliver charity but to be a voice alongside the disadvantaged. In this capacity we are calling for new solutions to address the causes of poverty in our midst.

It is our considered observation that widespread hardship extends far beyond pockets of social disparity and that poverty is now structured deeply and despairingly into our society.

It is of concern to Church members that current policy makers seriously underestimate the extent of poverty in New Zealand. Public reporting and monitoring responsibilities in relation to social policy outcome is inadequate. Competent research and systematic monitoring of past and future policies is required to provide a more robust basis for policy debate and decision making.

Furthermore, the experience of those who are hurting and agencies offering them support, is not taken sufficiently into account in the development of policy. The independent social policy research carried out by our own and other non-governmental organisations is similarly marginalised. We recommend a formal structure be set up to ensure the facilitation of information from the community and non-government sector in the development and assessment of social and economic policy.

We are also alarmed by the trend to suggest that poverty is due primarily to a lack of individual responsibility. The systemic nature of poverty must be acknowledged if solutions are to be found.
The Hikoi has identified five broad areas that require the development of new policy initiatives.
 

• * The need for real jobs that produce incomes sufficient for people to support themselves and their families.
  * The need for income and benefit levels that move people out of poverty.
  * The need for a public health system that New Zealanders can trust.
  * The need for affordable housing.
  * The need for high quality, affordable and accessible education.

While we acknowledge that developing sound solutions in these key areas is no easy task we believe these are the issues the New Zealand public wishes to see addressed by our elected representatives. We observe that in recent policy development, a fair process has at times been mistaken for a fair outcome. For example, in the area of housing, current housing policies are failing to solve a major crisis in housing affordability, overcrowding and lack of supply. In making your response to the Hikoi we request specific and detailed policy that has adequate and affordable housing for all citizens as the outcome.

While all citizens can contribute ideas and experiences to the development process, it is our elected representatives who are given the mandate, the responsibility and the resources to develop options for change.

We invite all Members of the House to place before the public a detailed programme to address these five issues before December 1998. At the conclusion of the Hikoi, the Churches will host a series of hui when all Members of the House will be invited to outline specifically to the New Zealand public their proposed solutions to address these five key areas. Your contributions will then form the basis of an open and honest debate by political and community leaders as to how to address the critical social issues the Hikoi has highlighted.

The Hikoi has been a journey of hope. It has already given hope to many who feel their cry of pain has not been heeded. But the primary hope of those taking part in this Hikoi of Hope, is that as our elected representatives you will hear this cry and ensure change occurs.

Yours sincerely,
+ John Paterson
Presiding Bishop/Primate and Bishop of Auckland

The Liturgy in Parliament Grounds

This is included for two reasons:
* to give those people who could not be there on the day a record of the basic service, the framework for what is coming to be seen as a momentous day;
* to form a basis for discussion.

Some discussion questions:

• 1. What strikes you most about the liturgy at first reading ?
• 2. How should we as a Church and as a people go about addressing Parliament ? What did this service make possible which a written petition tabled in Parliament would not have ? (Note: the Speaker was unwilling to receive the kete as Parliament’s single representative)
• 3. Do you agree with the rationale for the Hikoi as set out in section (9) ? In particular, do you agree with those paragraphs given to Bishop Muru Walters to speak ?
• (“We believe that it is central to the mission of Christ….to just and compassionate community.”
• What implications does this have for the ongoing life of the Church ? of your parish ? of your own discipleship ?
• 4. Put yourselves in the place of those Hikoi walkers who led the final prayers. What would you have felt then ? Share your own experience of the Hikoi.

The Entry to Parliament
(with church bells and drums and conch shells)

The Welcome
(from tangata whenua)
Waiata: “Guide me O thou great Jehovah” (verses 1 & 2) (in English then Maori).

The Invocation
* in three languages
* three voices (co-presiding bishops)
Voice 1: “In the name of God our Creator, in whose image we are all made”;
Voice 2: “In the name of God the Redeemer, whose will it is that we should be freed from all that enslaves us”;
Voice 3: “In the name of God the Giver of Life, whose loving power pervades and shapes creation.”
Bishop Viliami Hala’api’api: brief note about what is happening in Polynesia.

Introduction
(Ian Johnstone)

Bishop Ben Te Haara (pictured above):
“We remember in silence those who died in defence of this country and of a free and just society;
we remember those who died in defence of the Four Freedoms:

• freedom of speech;
• freedom of worship;
• freedom from want
• freedom from fear.”

SILENCE

Greeting to the living (by the Primate)

Prayers for the people and of the people:
(Stephanie McIntyre – Social Justice Commissioner): “Kia inoi tatou. Let us pray.
We thank you, our loving Creator,
for all who have gathered here,
for the tens of thousands who have walked with and
served the Hikoi but are not here today, and
for the hundreds of thousands who are here in spirit.
Be present with us now as we pray.”

(Trish Malcolm – Wellington Archdeacon for Youth): “We think of all those who apply for job after job, but only experience rejection. We think especially of those young people who leave school and can’t find work, and for those in middle age who can’t get back into the workforce.
Please help all the unemployed, who experience the damaging consequences of continuous rejection, and the insecurity of very low incomes. For these we pray,”
People: “O God hear us”

(Christina Tapu – Tikanga Polynesia): “We remember all those who can’t afford to pay their rent and are forced to live in overcrowded houses or in inadequate conditions.
We also think of those, who pay their rent, but don’t have enough money left over to buy all the food their households need.

We remember the children who can’t study, because they are hungry, or because they don’t have enough space in their house to concentrate.
We remember all those people who get sick as a result of dampness, coldness or their inability to afford power and gas. For these we pray,”
People: “O God hear us.”
(Bruce Hansen – Moderator of the Presbyterian Church): “We think of all those whom our health services have failed.
We remember particularly the families who cannot afford a visit to a doctor and the cost of the prescriptions afterwards.
We pray for the thousands of children who have become unnecessarily sick, for the adults too,
and especially for all those who have died, whose deaths could have been avoided. For these we pray,”
People: “O God hear us”.
(Flora Tuhaka – Tikanga Maori & Anglican Family Centre): “He inoi Maori (- a prayer in Maori)”
(Campbell Roberts of the Salvation Army): “We think of all those people in Aotearoa New Zealand who live in poverty, and don’t have enough money to meet their basic needs for food, shelter and other crucial costs.
We know how unfair it is that people have to live this way in a country with the resources we have.
We think of the fear and anxiety that poverty breeds, and the sense of hopelessness that follows.
We remember the children growing up in poverty and the parents managing their families in poverty. For these we pray,”
People: “O God hear us”.
(Julian Wilcox – Tikanga Maori): “We think of all the young people who begin their adult life owing large debts to the Government, to pay for their right to study,
We think also of those who want a higher education but are denied it because they don’t want to run up a large debt,
We remember all those who are not able to access the education they want, because they or their families cannot afford it. For these we pray,”
People: “O God, hear us.”
(The Revd Elder Risatisoni Ete): A prayer in Samoan
(Bonnie Robinson – Christian Social Services Council):
“We pray especially for all those who make decisions that affect the lives of people with all these problems,
and we plead for social policies and planning that will ensure every New Zealander can live decently, out of poverty and with dignity.
Please help all the members of our Parliament, and all the political parties, to recognise that too many new Zealanders are suffering unnecessarily,
and that as a nation we need a greater sense of political compassion and justice.
We pray for the creation of real jobs, affordable housing, a public health system that people can trust, benefit and wage levels that move people out of poverty, and affordable and accessible education, to give our people hope. For all these we pray.”
People: “O God hear us.”
Sung response: “Kumbaya”

Two Scripture readings
Isaiah 58:6-11 (read by Rabbi Michael Abraham – Liberal Jewish Synagogue)
Luke 6:20-21, 24-26 (read by Cardinal Tom Williams – Roman Catholic Church)

The rationale for the Hikoi and its central demands:
(Bishop Muru Walters – Tikanga Maori): “We believe that it is central to the mission of Christ
to participate, by word and action, in the struggles of
the poor for justice.
We believe that our allegiance, and the rightful
allegiance of this land, is not to Money but to God,
our calling is not to greed but to sharing,
our dignity is found not in possessions
but in service to others,
and our duty is not to any ideology of self
but to just and compassionate community.”
(Bishop Penny Jamieson – Tikanga Pakeha): “We therefore come to this Parliament
with our hearts touched by the pain of the growing poverty in this nation,
with our minds full of the stories of this pain, yet with our spirits full of hope in the faithfulness of the God of justice.”
(Winston Halapua – Tikanga Polynesia): “We bring the cry of people for real jobs, affordable housing, a health system we can trust, income and benefit levels that move people out of poverty, and high quality affordable and accessible education.
We bring that cry to this place of power where decisions are made that touch us all, and policies from which so many of us feel excluded.”

Presentation of the Kete
(Introduction by Ian Johnstone)
Co-Presiding Bishop Whakahuihui Vercoe says:
“We, the Presiding Bishops of the three tikanga Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia, present these kete on behalf of the many thousands of New Zealanders who have walked this Hikoi of Hope with us. These baskets carry within them the tears, pain and hopelessness that we encountered so widely on this walk. They also carry the hopes for a new society, where everyone is valued and has the means to participate fully in the life of our country.”
Bishop Viliami Hala’api’api says:
“In these kete are some of the stories we gathered during the Hikoi from Cape Reinga and from Stewart Island to this city. We commend them and the cry that comes from them, to you. Inside the kete there is also a letter outlining the deep concerns of this Hikoi, and our invitation to you, as our politicians, to achieve the great Hope of all who have walked for a just and inclusive Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Primate John Paterson says:
“On behalf of the people of this land, we seek for all New Zealanders * real jobs
* affordable housing
* a health service people can trust
* benefits and wage levels that move
people out of poverty
* affordable and accessible education.”
Sir Paul Reeves says: “The pain and dislocation have gone too far. Enough is enough.”
Seven groups of three Hikoi people walk across the forecourt to the lower steps of Parliament where the Political Party representatives and a representative of the Independent MPs are standing with members of the other tikanga in their Parties. Each representative is presented with a kete which has within it a sample of the stories gathered during the Hikoi from throughout New Zealand, and a letter outlining the concerns of the Hikoi and the Five Demands.
There is a brief response, one each from both sides of the House
Samoan choirs sing: “Faafetai i le Atua”

Closing prayers:
* The Lord’s Prayer (in one’s own language).
* (Five people who have walked the Hikoi from North or South: Nikora Nitro, Dayanna Ropata, Heather Flavell,& Here Williams, & a Polynesian walker):
“Voice 1: O Christ of the road of the wounded,
O Christ of the tears of the broken,
We give you thanks that in us and with us have
journeyed your hopes for your people;
Voice 2: We give you thanks that in our walking and talking and listening you have granted us your love and your strength;
Voice 3: We give you thanks for the generosity of spirit we have encountered in the people of this land;
Voice 4: We give you thanks for the richness of what we have shared together: faith, vulnerability, courage,
hospitality, and renewed vision and hope for the future.
Voice 5: We now commit ourselves to serve that vision and live in that hope, in the power of your suffering love. Amen.”

Blessing in three languages
Co-Presiding Bishops and Presiding Bishop
Hymn: “Whakaaria mai”