Monday, 5 September 2005

Alexander: Labour pays murderers but not victims

"How screwed up is our so-called justice system when a Labour Cabinet Minister pays $90,000 to a murderer but has a problem with $602 for a victim?" demanded United Future law and order spokesman Marc Alexander today.

"Colleen Burrows was kidnapped by the Mongrel Mob when she went to get her family's fish and chips, she refused to have sex with them, so they raped and murdered her, leaving her body so mutilated that her mother, Ida Hawkins, was not allowed to see her.

"Mob member and ring leader Sam Te Hei was found guilty of her murder

"Te Hei later alleged he was abused in prison and the then Attorney General, Margaret Wilson, ordered he be paid without even allowing the case to go to Court."

Mr Alexander said it has been alleged that Te Hei received $90,000.

"Now Ida Hawkins is upset and angry again - and she has reason to be.

"Not only was her daughter murdered but now the government has refused to reimburse her expenses of $602 to travel to Wellington to stop the killer getting a second lot of compensation while in prison.

"All Mrs Hawkins wanted to do was travel to Wellington to make submissions on the Prisoners' Compensation Bill.

"Victims' Support and the Minister of Justice turned down her request for help and she was only able to travel because of the Sensible Sentencing Trust - whose request to the Speaker, Margaret Wilson, for reimbursement was also refused."

Mrs Hawkins is now calling for Margaret Wilson's resignation, saying she had the cheek to pay the man who murdered her daughter $90,000, but refused to help her travel to Wellington to stop him getting more compensation.

"As far as I am concerned she is no better than the criminals themselves, this scumbag raped my little girl, ran over her with his car and kicked her to death then dumped her body on the riverbank. How can anybody who does that be paid compensation for some abuse of his human rights?"

Mr Alexander said Mrs Hawkins case is not an isolated one.

Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Garth McVicar said it seemed unfair that the Government is too miserable to reimburse victims a few dollars in costs when the same Government is willing to give over $3 million for various lobby groups who supported the Government-sponsored anti-smoking legislation.

ENDS

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