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Archived Press Releases 2005 13th September 2005

Mother of murdered teenager makes TV advert

(13th September 2005)

The Government may rue the day they refused to reimburse an angry mother $702 travel costs to stop her daughter’s killer getting compensation.

Last week Ida Hawkins told Margaret Wilson she was no better than the "scum" who killed her daughter, and called for her immediate resignation.

This week Ida Hawkins will feature in a TV advert to promote a better deal for Victims of violent crime, and expose the way she has been treated.

Mrs Hawkins and a number of other Victims have taken part in a series of radio ads to support a hard hitting campaign being run by the Sensible Sentencing Trust, unashamedly targeting the Election. The “Victims before criminals” campaign names the political parties that have endorsed the Trust’s hard line on crime.

Trust spokesman Garth McVicar said it was time for Victims to speak out and expose the shoddy treatment they receive from a system that has become a "gravy train" for criminals and those who defend them.

It was revealed last week that the Government had refused to reimburse Mrs. Hawkins costs of $702 to travel to Wellington to stop her daughter’s killer being paid a second lot of compensation, after earlier receiving $90,000 for alleged abuse in an Auckland prison.

Mr McVicar said the Trust offers no apologies for standing up for families who have lost so much and yet suffer continued abuse from a system and a Govt. that appears not to be listening.

"Many of these families have met representatives of the Government in the past, they have been ignored and their pleas have fallen on deaf ears."

If this Government has become so arrogant they do not have the compassion and understanding to listen to these families and put "Victims before criminals" then it is time to change the Government.

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.