'One day is too long': Victims wait days for protection orders to be served

Victims are often waiting a week or more to be officially protected from someone who is using family violence against them.

Data released to Newstalk ZB under the Official Information Act breaks down how many Family Court-ordered Temporary Protection Orders (TPO) have been issued in New Zealand, and how long it takes for them to be served on violent perpetrators.

The numbers concern Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money, who said any delay in service is unacceptable when “every minute feels like a day for a survivor”.

In 2025, nearly half of temporary protection orders served by police, to provide immediate protection, took four days or longer to reach respondents.

The national average rose from seven days in 2021 to 10 days in 2024 before easing to nine days in 2025.

In 2025, 1394 protection orders took four days or more to be successfully served.

The figures relate only to temporary protection orders granted on a without-notice basis, typically used in the most urgent cases.

Northland recorded the longest average service delay in 2025 at 16 days.

Money said, more often than not, those experiencing family violence are “running on empty”.

“It’s taken a lot of energy, anxiety and resilience to get to the point where you have applied for a protection order.

So then to wait for it to be served and know that you’ve finally got that cover, it can take a lot out of someone.”

These delays put children at risk, Money explained.

“People often forget that often there are children attached to those protection orders, and that is incredibly vital,” Money said.

The issue is particularly relevant in Canterbury, which faced the highest number of temporary protection orders in the country.

Five hundred and fifty were recorded in 2025, half of which took four days or more to be served.

Detective Senior Sergeant Dan Overend, from the Canterbury Police Family Protection Team, said on average, Police receive four temporary protection orders to serve daily, “adding to the immediacy and complexity of the work being managed”.

“Our priority remains the safety of those at risk of harm, and we are committed to delivering a response that supports victims and maintains public trust,” Overend said.

Seventy-five orders were not served in 2025 – 52 of which were recorded as “Reason not recorded”.

Money said it is something that requires follow-up with the Ministry of Justice.

“Why aren’t those things being recorded? Why aren’t we getting the insights around that?”

Money acknowledged everyone in the justice system, including Police, are doing their best – especially when many respondents actively avoid being served, making the process more difficult. 

It’s certainly not as easy as rocking up to Bob’s house and knocking on the door and Bob lets you in for a cup of tea, welcoming you with open arms.”

“I have a lot of sympathy with the workers trying to find these people and serve these protection orders,” Money said.

But, Canterbury violence support service Aviva’s general manager, Gwenda Kendrew, said the wait period is “incredibly risky” for all concerned.

People often walk through Aviva’s doors with “a sense of no hope, no direction and feeling absolutely fearful for their lives, and that’s not okay at all” Kendrew said.

“One day is too long for someone to be sitting in a state of insecurity and fear,” Kendrew said.

“Our concern is we continue as an organisation to be holding people in a state of limbo.”

Kendrew explained they work closely with police and are aware of the pressure they’re under.

“This is all part of the systemic issues they’re managing,” Kendrew said, but in the meantime, everyday people are faced with risk.

Victims are left “unsure about where they should be and how to continue their everyday life”.

“There needs to be a real matching of the fact that the courts have agreed with the request, but then there’s a halt.”

The number of clients Aviva is supporting has risen by 75% in five years – from 1092 in 2020 to 1909 in 2025.

Meanwhile, the average duration of support has nearly tripled from 54 days to 156 days.

Kendrew said, “our work has got more complex”.

“New Zealand has a significant concern around family violence and sexual violence, and if we’re not taking parts of the process seriously, then we continue to fall over in protecting our community,” Kendrew said.

“How do we educate our communities to not allow this to happen anymore? How do we change the focus from crisis to prevention,” that then “eliminates all of this backlog at the other end”.

Rosie Leishman is a reporter and multimedia journalist based in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. She joined Newstalk ZB in 2025 after experience working at the Bangkok Post in Thailand. She has a keen interest in social issues, the environment and general news.