Louise Nicholas backs Labour Party handling of alleged sexual assault

  • 13/03/2018

Victims advocate Louise Nicholas backs the Labour Party's decision not to inform the parents of young people subjected to "highly inappropriate behaviour" at a Young Labour summer camp.

But she wants to know more about what happened to the 20-year-old perpetrator, who allegedly sexually assaulted or harassed four 16-year-olds at the camp in Waihi last month, according to Newsroom.

Ms Nicholas, a sexual assault survivor, says it's up to the victims to decide whether or not to tell their parents.

"As hard as it is for adults and as parents ourselves, we would want to know what has happened for our child, but we've also got to respect the fact that the kids didn't want mum and dad to know," she told RadioLive on Tuesday afternoon.

She said it would be different if the young people were under the age of 16, then their parents should have been notified.

Ms Nicholas said the Labour Party had done the right thing by talking with specialist support about how to help the young people.

But she has "grave concerns" about the 20-year-old who was removed from the camp and wants to know what is happening with him.

"Do you just remove the problem? It's not right," she said.

She also believes that police should have been involved.

"Not to arrest anybody, I think if they [should have] brought in the police - the police specialist team - to come in and talk to the children."

She said police could have talked to the young people and explained what the process would be if they chose to lodge a complaint.

Ms Nicholas said in her work with children who have been victims of sexual assault, it's common for them to feel ashamed, to think no-one will believe them and to think it was their fault.

She had a message for the young people who were victimised at the camp: "These kids have done nothing wrong here, it's okay to talk to mum and dad."

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