Foetal alcohol spectrum disorder lacking recognition

Around 5 per cent of New Zealanders are believed to suffer from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Associate Professor Anita Gibbs from the University of Otago says Teina Pora, acquitted over the 1992 rape and murder of Susan Burdett, is an example of someone with FASD whose life could have been vastly different if the condition was diagnosed when he was a child. She says while the Ministry of Health recognises FASD as a disability, our courts need to put more effort into recognising the condition.