Comments on: ACC and Sexual Abuse Victims

By: AShley

AShley — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:51:59 +0000

wHY would you not put my post up

By: Christiine

Christiine — Mon, 03 May 2010 01:41:28 +0000

Just recently I was violently raped by a Black Power member, (drug raped), just sitting in a pub having a drink). Has causd me a lot of trauma and is affecting my life quite a lot. Now have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I had some counselling from ACC, but just stopped recently, because too stressful. I am now making a Claim for compensation. From reading different blogs, it sounds like ACC assessors are liars and have no compassion for anyone. Is this true? Just wanting someone to talk to, as I don’t know a lot about this and wondering if it is worth the stress of going ahead with this claim.

By: JeanP

JeanP — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:07:03 +0000

Eric Medcalf celebrates 1967 as being the year of Cream/Sgt Pepper and the Woodhouse Committee. Unfortunately his speech on ACC changes is a “Strange Brew”…for Medcalf s lemming-like and blinkered vision of his own profession as being “skilled and experienced” (while Psychiatry lacks “training in diagnostic procedures”is ludicrous!Didnt his namesake “Eric” holler “What a fool are you!”

By: uznco

uznco — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:02:14 +0000

There are many issues to consider in this debarcal.
1. ACC are not broke. I have seen studies done on where the money goes and far more money goes into administration costs than in claims. They have to many pen pushers sitting behind a desk causing harm to people earning well over $100,00 (just like housing NZ and many other government organisations including MP’s – all feathering their own nests) Its greed. Its about money not people as they keep saying its not about money….of course its about money. They bought shares in Lion breweries (how ironic is that – someone gets drunk has a accident and those involved get ACC coverage)!!! What a mess!!! The reason they are complaining about losing money is because their shares plummetted in the recession. What are they doing buying shares and making money out of the tax payers so they can sit pretty behind their desks. Excess money should be put back into the community. To non profit organisations who are helping victims of crime, of accidents, of muggings or sexual abuse. That excess money should be put into awareness of child sexual assault and voilence. maybe if the government did something about sexual assault and violence they wouldn’t have so many claimants.
2. I have been a tax payer all my life, so have my friends, husband, his parents and mine. So has your family and friends. If something happened to you or a loved one don’t you think you are entitled to compensation. Help to regain your life. Someone close to you could walk down the road tomorrow and be raped. That could totally wreck the rest of her life. Don’t you think that you would want you tax paying to be put into that loved one.
3. They are blaming counsellors etc for feathering their own nests and keeping clients in therapy. This has not been my experience at all. Community Mental Health kept me sick for 16 years. Counsellors etc walked beside me and kept me alive – thank goodness because after alot of help from my GP, counsellors and close friends (and of course God having a hand on my life) I am coming to the end of my traumatic childhood issues. But yes I am at the end and just need about another year of help to pay for my counselling and then I will be finished. But I am scared that is going to get axed too. For the past 2 years I have been studying so that I can give back…. so I can get a decent job and walk beside others that need help. This government has axed the training incentive allowance now which means I cannot go down the path I wanted to as I don’t have the funds. This government have axed funds into tertiary institutions too so fees will be going up and more people are losing jobs. I am applying for a job where I can be a peer support worker and walk beside other to help them regain their life back. I will study part time which will take me longer which means I will be sitting on my benefit longer. What a mess.
Oh man I have so much to write here but have run out of time. I am fighting these cuts and go see a Nat MP on monday. come on NZ join in the fight. If I can do you can.

By: Clubfoot

Clubfoot — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:00:18 +0000

Great initiative Grant, I’m also interested to know what the other salient points were raised on the night?

Any comment on the wider insurance implications for those following diagnosis?
A win/win for the big insurance companies – create lots of tight hoops for people to squeeze through, increase the premiums, deny claims on spurious ‘pre-existing conditions’ and continue to bully a vulnerable community…

By: j abba

j abba — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:00:00 +0000

excuse me Dorothy BUT what I have said is far better for the vitim that what you are saying.
I hope you ARE NOT implying I don’t care about these people.
A rape victim needs special suuport and I have dealt with ACC before and it was an unpleasent thing to go through.
Re nonsence/ignorance .. HOW RUDE .. mmmm mirror?

By: Dorothy

Dorothy — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:07:34 +0000

hey guys, don’t rise to jabba’s nonsense, just ignore him. He demonstrates his ignorance by being unaware that ACC has long covered injuries, not accidents. Or maybe he knows this but is just trying to waste our time. Either way, pay no attention, it only encourages him.

By: Bea

Bea — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:55:51 +0000

“rape is NOT an accident”

A person doesn’t get raped on purpose. Nor is it an illness. I don’t see what other category it would fall into.

As stargazer says, mugging also is not an accident. An eye gouge in rugby isn’t an accident. Medical misadventure is not necessarily an accident. Asbestosis is an illness, not an accident. Murder is not an accident.

If you want to say rape should have nothing to do with ACC because the raper did it on purpose, you could disqualify an awful lot of other things.

By: Spud

Spud — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:34:32 +0000

I think the health system thing is a good idea, but sure these people also deserve monetary compensation for all their suffering.

By: jabba

jabba — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:24:25 +0000

Mel .. that would be great