A sexual abuse survivor is asking lawmakers to better acknowledge male rape victims and is calling for an end to gender comparisons in sexual abuse statistics.
Ken Clearwater, the National Advocate for peer support group Male Survivors Aotearoa, submitted to the Justice Select Committee on Thursday on the proposed Sexual Violence Legislation Bill.
Clearwater, who became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019 for his victim support work, said he has worked with “hundreds, if not thousands, of men” over the last 23 years, including men who have taken their own lives.