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Archived Press Releases 2010 8th December 2010

RSA VICTIMS STILL WAITING 9 YEARS ON

(8th December 2010)

9 years after one of New Zealand's most brutal crimes the victims and families of those murdered are still waiting for answers.

It was the 8th of December 2001 that William Bell bludgeoned three people to death in the Mt Wellington RSA and left Susan Couch so badly beaten she was not expected to survive.

Not only did Sue survive, she has taken her battle for accountability to the highest Court in the land, but having won the right to sue the Department of Corrections, no date has yet been set for the case to be heard.

The outcome of that Court case is also holding up Tai Hobson's ex-gratia claim for compensation. Tai's wife was one of the three Bell murdered and his attempt to sue the Dept of Corrections was struck out even though the Department acknowledged it must take a real measure of responsibility and said it, "sincerely regrets the awful consequences which resulted for the victims and their families".

Garth McVicar, spokesman for the Sensible Sentencing Trust who has helped fund the Court action said it was despicable that the victims of this tragedy had been made to wait so long, even though the Department responsible had admitted it was culpable and must take a real measure of responsibility.

Mr McVicar said numerous compensation claims for criminals had been settled in the years since Bell's murderous rampage but victims and the families such as those involved in the RSA tragedy had been hung out to dry.

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.