National party proposes up to 10 years for silence on child deaths

what happened

New Zealand's National Party says that, if returned to power, it will create a new criminal offence. Anyone who knows about the killing of a child under 12 and keeps quiet could be jailed for up to 10 years. Justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith announced the plan, according to 1news.co.nz.

Goldsmith explained that the rule targets cases where police know who was inside a house but nobody will give them information. The offence would sit in the Crimes Act and cover situations where it is clear that one or more adults were present when a child died or shortly before. He argued that the right to silence should not be absolute when a child has been killed. The party plans to work with legal experts to design narrow exceptions to the general right to stay quiet.

Goldsmith expects the prospect of prosecution to push households to talk. The announcement came eight days before advance voting begins for the November 7 election. Labour was also expected to make its own announcement later the same day.

why it matters

The direct market effect is limited, since this is domestic criminal law policy. Investors usually treat campaign pledges like this as a signal of the broader policy direction before the November 7 vote, which could shape expectations for New Zealand.

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