A Manawatu man who beat, kicked, and punched his ex-partner, stopping only when police arrived, has been slapped on the wrist with a ‘good telling off’, community service, and a pathetic fine for ‘emotional harm’, says Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“New Zealand has a horrendous domestic abuse problem, and this sentence does nothing to give weight to the seriousness of the offending,” says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“There is no single silver bullet to solving the problem we have of the high levels of domestic abuse numbers, but to have such a weak sentence handed down to an offender who has previous history of domestic abuse is utterly astounding."

“It is an insult to the victim that a pathetic five hundred dollar fine for ‘emotional harm’ was handed down. The community service sentence is quite meaningless when even the Department of Corrections has themselves stated that community service is for “minor-end offending”, says Mr Ball.

“Where is the seriousness from our judiciary that is needed in addressing one of the worst blights on our society? Where is the justice, accountability, and deterrent in the sentencing of this offender?”

“If this type of “minor-end offence level” sentencing continues, we can just expect more and more of this horrendous domestic violence occurring in our society.”

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