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Letter to our Prime Minister
and Members of Parliament

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Prime Minister Rt. Hon Helen Clark
and all Members of Parliament
Parliament Buildings
WELLINGTON

17 February 2003;   

Dear Helen Clark & Members of Parliament,

I wish to congratulate you and the other Ministers and Members of Parliament who have spoken out with regard to toughening dog control laws. I agree totally that our children and citizens should be free to play in our parks and walk our streets without fear of being attacked by marauding vicious dogs, and the subsequent suffering they endure. I applaud you attending a meeting with Carolina Anderson's father regarding his proposal for harsher dog laws. The fact that more dog control officers may be dispatched with greater powers and the deterrent of harsher penalties is admirable and will hopefully make our communities safer, and you are to be commended on voicing your disgust and taking a firm stand on this issue.

In view of the above I would like to ask the following questions of you and all Members of Parliament: -

• Where were you...... when a little 6 year old girl walking to school who was abducted, raped and murdered by a repeat violent criminal? Have you met with Teresa Cormack's parents and explained why such a violent criminal who had over 60 previous convictions was allowed to roam our streets and select his next victim?
• Where were you...... when Michael Choy was viciously attacked and murdered by a group of youths with a baseball bat while delivering Pizzas? Have you meet with his mother, Rita Croskery and voiced your disgust that her son was murdered by a group of youths including a 12 year old, and supported her campaign to reduce Youth Offending?
• Where were you...... when Lynne Baxter was out jogging our streets when she was deliberately run down, brutally raped, stabbed 35 times and had her head smashed with a concrete tile? Dartelle Alder was convicted of her crime and defended by one of your current MP's who blamed it on the "white ruling class", and thought 15 years a long enough sentence for this crime. Have you met with any of the Baxter family and explained why it is not safe for women to be out running by themselves as recommended in the Coroner's report?
• Where were you...... when Mr Faletoikei was picnicking in the Park with his family and was stabbed to death after offering food to his killer ? Was the killer then hunted down and shot? Have you dispatched more Police to control our Parks and given them greater powers ?
• Where were you...... When John Vaughan and Marcus Doig were shot in cold blood while at work contributing to our society? Have you met with Marcus's father, Peter Doig and supported his wishes that "life should mean life" for this killer who should never be released back into society?
• Where were you....... when four RSA workers were viciously attacked, three bludgeoned to death as they went about their daily lives. Did you voice you views to the community on harsher or tougher penalties and explain why one of the killers had over 100 convictions and was out on Parole and why it is not safe for law abiding citizens to go to work as they cannot rely on "the system"?
• Where were you....... when Kylie Jones was walking home from the bus stop and brutally raped and murdered by Taffy Hotene. Have you met with Kylie's parents and explained why a repeat violent criminal was released from prison against his own wishes and that of the police?
• Where were you...... when two little boys had their heads smashed in when sleeping in their beds? Have you supported their parents through their annual ordeal of Parole Hearings in their efforts to protect society from such a killer, and established why they cannot seek the support of their local MP, as he defended their sons killer while his own children attended the same school as their little boys.
• Where were you...... when Kate Alkema was walking along the River Bank and was strangled? Have you met with her children and husband and explained why New Zealand has such a violent and unsafe society.
• Where were you ??? The list and the heartache is endless.

Please advise if presenting a report to Parliament describing in graphic detail and showing forensic photos of the horrific injuries inflicted on these innocent people and the ongoing trauma their families suffer would hasten a law change to protect innocent people and allow them to walk our streets without fear of being attacked by marauding vicious killers in the same way you have given urgency to tougher dog control laws to protect the public from vicious dog attacks.

How come...... stiffer and harsher penalties seem to be a deterrent for drink drive/ traffic offences and the proposed toughening of dog control laws given urgency. Yet when it comes to violent criminal offending and murderers, Parliament is conspicuous by its silence.

How come...... when a valuable human life is so viciously, deliberately and senselessly taken you say and do nothing?

Where are you ???

I look forward to your reply.

"All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men and women to do nothing."

Yours faithfully,

Garth McVicar Sensible Sentencing Trust.