Māori and victims have lower trust in justice system: crime survey

A new analysis from the 2024 New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey (NZCVS) attributed the decreased trust in the justice system among crime victims to their reduced belief in the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system. 

“However, trust improves when victims are given more opportunity to participate in the system and to understand what is being done to help them,” said Rebecca Parish, sector insights general manager at the New Zealand Ministry of Justice, in a media release. “As a result, different parts of the justice system are trying new ways to better support the victims of crime.” 

Among Kiwis polled during the 2024 survey period: 

• 56 percent had little fear of crime 
• Asian adults and Pacific peoples had a higher fear of crime despite experiencing similar or lower victimisation levels compared with the country’s average 
• 89 percent expressed concern about interpersonal violence nationwide 
• 37 percent were concerned about interpersonal violence in their own neighbourhoods 
• At a neighbourhood level, concerns were more prevalent among groups such as adults who felt unsafe (53 percent), those residing in the most deprived areas (52 percent), Māori (49 percent), Pacific peoples (46 percent), and victims of crime (46 percent) 
• Compared with non-Māori, Māori had consistently lower levels of trust and confidence in the justice system 
• Victims had a much lower trust level in the justice system than non-victims 

In its media release, the justice ministry announced the recent release of five fact sheets based on responses from the Public Perceptions Module, a new set of questions included in the 2024 NZCVS. The justice ministry noted that the fact sheets addressed: