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Archived Press Releases 2008 8th March 2008

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL NEW ZEALANDERS

(8th March 2008)

Plus a personal Response from Malcolm and Sharlene Bennett and a Covering Note from Garth

FROM KIWI FAMILIES WHO HAVE JOINED SENSIBLE SENTENCING TRUST AFTER BECOMING THE VICTIMS OF MURDER AND VIOLENT CRIME

We are all intelligent, strong, independent thinkers and are not easily manipulated by others. We have joined the Sensible Sentencing Trust as it has given victims a voice which was previously ignored, and unheard in New Zealand.

Most of us do not even like the word "victim" we see ourselves as survivors. It is our loved ones who are the victims. They will never walk on this earth again, as violent criminals took their lives and left us to live with the consequences. We come from all parts of New Zealand, and all walks of life, and we have one awful thing in common.

The justice system has badly let our families down. Our collective hope is that the systems and laws are improved so no more New Zealanders suffer entirely preventable deaths at the hands of those who have no place in a safe community.

This is why we speak out. Our agenda is simply to highlight decisions and laws that compromise the safety of our communities in an effort to make NZ a safe place to bring up our children. We are not political pawns manipulated to fit a covert agenda and unlike our critics we have no vested interest in protecting violent criminals.

Signed by

Sue Couch, Auckland

Margaret, Jock, Ross and Juliet Jamieson, Auckland

Ken & Rita Croskery, Auckland

Kathryn Harlen, Auckland

Kevin McNeil, Thames

Brian, Lynette, Michelle & Wayne Brown, Tauranga

Brad & Hoana Morrissey, Tauranga

Richard, Kristine & Regan Johnston, Hamilton

Sherralee McComb, Hamilton

Malcolm & Sharlene Barnett, Taupo

Val & Kieran Burr, Palmerston North

Ted & Judy Ashton, Nelson

Andrew & Megan McPherson, Dunedin

Ray & Debbie Francis of Owaka

David and Barbara Winchester of Mt Maunganui

Val and John Hargreaves of South Auckland

Craig Keogh, London

This arose from comments made by Kim Workman at the media conference regarding Kurariki's parole hearing detailed in this story here and also here

A response from Malcolm and Sharlene Barnett

My self and my wife would like to respond to comments made by Mr Kim Workman the National Director of Prison Fellowship

We would like to start with the statement that Kurariki is an extremely low risk offender - this person would not have been in jail in the first place charged with manslaughter at the age of 12 if indeed he were a extremely low risk offender.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust do not wish to, nor do they need to parade greiving victims, nor do they want any victims to relive their personal trauma by the retelling of their stories. It happens every day anyway . We relive each and every day the trauma and burden of what has happened to our loved ones. There are many triggers that let the mind relive what has happened - a song on the radio, a magazine picture, another news story of another murder ( the list is endless ).

A restorative justice or a family group conference is where the offender makes a request to apologise. For What? For killing your son /daughter in a senseless act of violence? Anyone can say "Im sorry" but not mean it - and that makes it all ok ? We think NOT! Just by saying "Im sorry" makes the offender feel good about themselves and makes the act of violence ok - it does nothing for the victims families that are left behind and by saying "Im sorry" only serves to absolve the offenders conscience and look good in the public eye.

We have very little faith in our justice system. How many other offenders have been thought low risk and unlikely to reoffend and have gone on to kill again while out on parole. The list mounts up each year and yet again leaves further victims behind to try and pick up the pieces of their lives. We believe that parole should not exist and the sentence handed down by a judge should stand as that.

We know of at least one person by personal experience - our daughter Krystal Bennett. She was killed by a repeat offender still out on the streets due to the lengthy time taken to process a repeat drugged driver who killed Krystal as well as a 12 year old boy with a motor vehicle ( not the same you say, we disagree the weapon was different, the result is the same - our daughter was killed)

We were also offered a restorative justice and family group conference, and we declined and will continue to decline, as we feel the person saying "Im Sorry to have killed your daughter" whom she never knew, never saw or even spoke to at all, is a very hollow apology at best. It has been 2 and a half years now and the day Krystal was killed is still a part of our lives daily. There are times when my wife just cries and cries and says how much she misses Krystal her baby and why did it have to happen. We attended a wedding of our neice and a 21st party, things that Krystal will never have - how can you just brush these things aside and get on with it . That is so insensitive. There are things that push the hurt aside, but things all come flooding back again, as with Rita Croskerys son - these things will never be there for him either.

The person who killed our daughter showed very little emotion or remorse at all throughout the 5 court appearences leading to her sentencing. The only time she showed any emotion was when we read out the victim impact statement in court, so why should we have any sort of "restorative justice conference" when we firmly believe she wasn't sorry at all for what she had done.

Everybody knows the difference between right and wrong and what leading a law abiding life means, and every one has the choice to do the right things . But so many people who are offenders use the pathetic excuse that they were influenced by their childhood and the violence that they were subjected to, and since leading such a traumatic and violent childhood it gives them the excuse and the right to do the violent things that they do to others .. We believe that is a copout. Surely if their childhood was as violent and as traumatic as that, they would want to change for the better and not follow along the same path of violence.

Anything that can be done to keep our towns and communities safer needs to be done. We have to take the initative and put justice first and foremost and keep offenders where they belong which in turn will keep our sons /daughters and loved ones SAFE.

Malcolm and Sharlene Barnett

Covering Note from Garth

It should be made clear that Mr Workman is a career public servant who now earns a living from running restorative justice programmes in our prisons. He isn't a disciple of restorative justice who 'believes', he's a salesman for it rewarded by government money. In other words Kim Workman has a First Class Carriage on the Gravy Train.

He is also an apologist for the fashionable policies and opinions that encouraged the dysfunction that's created this increase in teenage monsters and murderers.

Workman, however, is very good at one thing and that is patronising people. He pulls off that "nanny state I know better than you" superiority like few others can. Is he so out of touch that he genuinely believes he knows how Rita should grieve for her son better than she knows herself? Shame he wasn't alongside Rita during the last 7 years to tell her to pull herself together and get over it.

Workman's agenda is obvious and it's not about helping Rita. He has to convince us all that victims need to forgive and they will heal faster if they help the murderer of their child get out of jail early.

All NZers want Kurariki to come out, stay clean and contribute productively to our society. The Croskery's want this more than anyone. But Kim Workman obviously wasn't listening when Ken Croskery broke down at the media conference and said "we do not do this because we are vindictive, we just don't want any other family to go through what we have been through".

Why doesn't Workman show some understanding of the victims instead of the murderers and ask Rita if she feels like a pawn? Or can he take arrogance to a new level and believe she is so weak and indoctrinated that she can't answer that question without being told what to say?

If Workman really believes what he says and he's not just trying to drum up business then we would like to invite him to the Victim's Conference in Wellington in April to speak to the families, tell them why they need to forgive and explain they will feel SO much better once they do.

He can be the headline act, if he is brave enough to front up? If he's not perhaps I could ask Rita whether she might run a seminar to teach him about real courage.

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.