Re: Rachael Younger

17 August 2001

Re: Rachael Younger

Dear Sir or Madam

On 16 August, TV2's "It's Your Money!" featured an article on Rachael Younger, who was convicted of fraud in the High Court at Auckland earlier this year.

The feature contained footage of Miss Younger teaching Taekwon-Do. It ended with a picture of Miss Younger wearing a Taekwon-Do uniform, with "Wanted" splashed across it.

Miss Younger's profession as a self defence instructor was not associated with her hobby of Taekwon-Do, and TV2 made an inappropriate connection between the two.

Enclosed is a press release from the International Taekwon-Do Foundation of New Zealand, with whom Miss Younger was previously affiliated. Her affiliation to us ended as a result of this fraud, which is completely contrary to everything for which Taekwon-Do stands.

Taekwon-Do is a martial art that teaches self defence, and we also teach our students our values of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and indomitable spirit.

For further information on ITFNZ Taekwon-Do's stance in this matter or ITFNZ Taekwon-Do itself, please do not hesitate to contact me directly; my contact details are below.

Yours faithfully

Mark Banicevich
Director of Marketing
International Taekwon-Do Foundation of New Zealand
Telephone 021 398 608
Email mbanicevich@itfnz.org.nz
PRESS RELEASE

Miss Rachael Younger was a member of our Taekwon-Do organisation from 1995 until 2000. We are no longer associated with her in any way. We are appalled and deeply disappointed by her fraudulent activities, because they defy everything for which Taekwon-Do stands. Taekwon-Do students are taught to live their lives according to our tenets of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self control and indomitable spirit.

When Miss Younger applied to affiliate to our organisation, after moving here from Australia, she appeared to be of strong moral character and there was no evidence to the contrary, so she was accepted. We now hold a different view, and she has since left our organisation and returned to Australia. We have made our Australian counterparts fully aware of this situation. If Miss Younger ever returns to New Zealand, she will not be accepted back into ITFNZ Taekwon-Do.

Although Miss Younger used her New Zealand and Australian Taekwon-Do achievements to promote her business activities, as many of us do, these activities were completely independent of her involvement with ITFNZ Taekwon-Do. This matter concerns insurance fraud, and we have nothing to do with the personal and business insurance of our instructors.

For this reason, we became aware of the situation at the same time and in the same manner as the general public (through newspaper and radio). Miss Younger's former students are now taught by instructors who have been with our organisation over 10 years, and we are confident they will be well looked after in a manner consistent with our values.

We regret that we have had to make such a public statement, but believe that it is necessary to clarify the situation. ITFNZ Taekwon-Do has not had any contact with Miss Younger since the incident and we can only hope that she has learnt from this.

For further information about ITFNZ Taekwon-Do, call me on 021 398 608 or visit our website, www.itfnz.org.nz.

Mark Banicevich
Director of Marketing
International Taekwon-Do Foundation of New Zealand
mbanicevich@itfnz.org.nz

© Scoop Media