Stuff Digital Edition

Over alleged misconduct

‘‘We don’t know how they are going to frame it, and I have no confidence it will be addressed or resolved.

‘‘It’s not safe for too many women in brigades, and there’s a real culture, and it’s normalised, of covering up.’’

Asked why the investigation into Butzbach was not pursued, Dunne said he would make a statement about it at the AGM. He wouldn’t say what form that might take. ‘‘I’m not prepared to comment about it until then.’’

Multiple volunteer firefighters in brigades across the country have told Stuff of deepening issues with the way misconduct allegations are treated within Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ).

About 18 months ago, Tawa volunteer firefighter Anita Murrell started a private

Facebook group supporting survivors of sexual misconduct. She says she has supported more than a dozen women through complaints, many of which remain unresolved.

‘‘Meanwhile, they’re taken off the trucks, they’re passed over for promotion, they’re given alternative duties.

‘‘I don’t think there has ever been a complaints process that’s worked, and it can’t be that difficult.’’

A review by Judge Coral Shaw into fire service culture in 2019 found that bullying was widespread and change was needed.

Murrell said this report didn’t specifically look at sexual assault and abuse, and that nothing had improved. It was not uncommon for investigations to take more than a year, and survivors to be pushed out of the service and their communities, she said.

‘‘There has been a lack of tangible progress. There needs to be compulsory training for everyone, and a really clear line drawn on what will be tolerated.

‘‘Because that’s not been managed well, I don’t think [the service] have a clue how widespread sexual assault and harassment is.’’

Stuff asked the UFBA if it felt the issue had been resolved, if public trust in Butzbach had been eroded, and whether firefighters could feel safe that allegations of sexual misconduct would be taken seriously. In a statement signed by Dunne, it said it would not be appropriate to discuss anything about Butzbach before the meeting. It did not respond to questions about staff wellbeing, other than to say that FENZ provided an advocacy service.

FENZ spokesman Adam Walker said the organisation had conducted its own investigation into allegations against Butzbach in relation to his role as a volunteer firefighter.

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en-nz

2021-10-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://stuff.pressreader.com/article/281672553152616

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