Despite Filipo’s Chilling Act of Violence he gets Credit for being a Youth

2nd November 2016

Losi Filipo has been sentenced to nine months supervision for assaulting four people, including two women, and has been ordered to do alcohol counselling and a living without violence course. Judge Collins said himself that Filipo stomping on the victim's head was a "chilling act of violence", but then said he was entitled to credit due to his youth.

“What does this say of our justice system?” Said an incredulous Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Youth Advocate Jess McVicar “Filipo committed an horrific and extremely vicious attack on 4 innocent people. They have to live with the memory of that appalling attack and the injuries inflicted on them for the rest of their lives. Meanwhile Filipo gets credit for being a youth!”

The Sensible Sentencing Trust believes this sentence does not reflect the severity of the crime and has not taken into account the impact it has had on the victims. Filipo will still get to carry on with his life as normal. “This shows the public exactly what will happen in the Youth Justice system if the age is raised; you get a bonus for being a youth!” Jess McVicar

Lobby groups asking for the ages of youth to be raised in the Youth Justice system are saying if youth go through the adult court they go to prison, but Jess said the Losi Filipo sentencing is a prime example of showing the complete opposite happening. “Filipo has had a supervisory sentence and counselling imposed for a vicious attack that could have killed someone. So if a youth commits a burglary in a home, or steals a car, they are not going to have a prison sentence imposed, given the outcome of this case are they?”

The Sensible Sentencing Trust believes rehabilitation courses were a good start, but said they should have been ordered right at the beginning. Reparation of $1,000 for the victims does not send a strong message of deterrence and is a pittance that we doubt even covered the victims’ expenses.

If Filipo’s case was dealt with in the Youth Justice system, the chances are high the most that would have happened to FilIpo is he would have had to attend a Family Group Conference (FGC), meaning the victims would have had to have come face to face with their attacker. At the end of the day this would have led to a discharge, with no record or conviction.

Jess says she wonders how we have got into this position where just because you are a youth offender, you now get a pat on the back, rather than being held accountable for your actions. The Government is currently looking at a bill to raise the age of youth dealt with in the Youth Justice system and Jess says NO! Rather than increase the age of the youth, we need to ask Parliament to introduce a fully transparent Youth Justice system that holds young offenders and their parents/caregivers fully accountable for their actions.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust has set up a petition to reflect this and we ask you to click on the attached link below, sign the petition and have your say. Youth need direction, they need to be shown right from wrong, and they need to be told that there will always be consequences for their actions. Together we can make a difference and stop this PC lunacy! ENDS

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/85987282/rugby-player-losi-filipo-to-be-sentenced-by-high-court-today

https://www.change.org/p/government-of-new-zealand-say-no-to-raising-the-youth-court-age?recruiter=150177125&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

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