Trust Labels Hamilton Judge Out of Touch And Offender Friendly

28th August 2016

“This sentence doesn’t even come close to fitting the crime let alone punishing the offender. Justice Ailsa Duffy should be ashamed of herself and she should be removed from the bench. If cumulative sentences had been used Tipene could very well have faced over thirty years in prison.” Guthrie

On Friday the Hamilton High Court, heard in excruciating detail how two women came to have their first sexual experiences and how they were raped, had their hair pulled from their heads and told if they opened their mouths they would be killed.

“This attack on two innocent women was premeditated unprovoked and life changing but still the presiding judge fails to enforce the full extent of the law. What about the victims and what about sending a message of deterrence” Guthrie

22 year old Te Anga Tipene asked his first victim if she had ever had sex before. She told him to leave. He removed his clothes. He unbuttoned her pyjamas and violently raped her,
but Tipene wasn't done. After leaving the first victims bedroom, he went down the hall to the second bedroom, where the flatmate was also in bed and awake and trying to get help.
She screamed at Tipene to get out. He told her he would only leave if she would perform a sexual act on him. He removed his pants. He unbuttoned her pyjamas. Tipene didn't want sexual intercourse. He had other plans.

"Your actions on that night were a brutal invasion of their safe place. Both women were in significant physical pain as a result of your assault," Justice Duffy

“This judge had every opportunity to impose cumulative sentences on this offender and protect the public for an extremely long time but true to judicial form takes pity on the offender and ignores justice and the victims” Guthrie

Justice Duffy sentenced Tipene to 11 years in prison on one charge of burglary, one charge of sexual violation by rape, one charge of indecent assault, two charges of threatening grievous bodily harm, and two charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection of which he will only have to serve three and a half years before being eligible for parole. If cumulative sentences had been used Tipene could very well have faced over thirty years in prison.

Sensible Sentencing Trust is calling for a legislation change making it mandatory for cumulative sentencing for multiple violent or sexual offences END:

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