Turangi Camp Site Attack – “New Zealand Needs To Take A Good Look At Itself” The World Is Watching

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In a press conference, held before the 16 year old suspect in the Turangi camp site case appeared in court this afternoon, the detective in charge of the investigation made a comment about New Zealand society.

It was reported on by the Daily Post, who wrote:

“New Zealand society needs to take a good look at itself, says officers working on the Turangi assault.

Detective Inspector Mark Loper, who is in charge of the investigation into the attack on a 5-year-old girl at a Turangi camp ground, spoke at press conference this afternoon, before a 16-year-old was due to appear in Taupo District Court.

Mr Loper said New Zealand society needed to take a good look at itself…” more here

Police have said they will ask that bail be refused after the youth was accompanied to the police station by a relative yesterday.

This is just one of many violent assaults in recent years linked to young men and women in New Zealand society.

Update 15 January 2012: Parents plead for a fair ruling 

The Belgian parents of the raped child have expressed their concern at the judge’s handling of the offender (who said he will not defend charges of rape, burglary and grievous bodily harm via sexual violation) after the trial judge praised the 16 year youth for dressing well for court and supposedly writing a nice poem in which he asked God to “make him a man.” The injured child’s parents have asked for a fair ruling on their case

We say if this youth wants to be a man he should leave God out of it. Stow the poems, square up to the full face of the law and accept a man’s punishment for the terrible crimes he has inflicted on this family and their sleeping child.

Any perceived leniency by the courts will be seen as implicit consent for any hot- blooded thug to prey on whomever they wish, knowing that a clean suit and a well written poem is going to get them off doing jail time.

An outpouring of support, teddy bears and financial donations from the public is not enough to salve New Zealand’s conscience in this case, it is vitally important that justice is done and seen to be done, the world is watching. New Zealand needs to stand up, take a look at itself  and “be a man” too.

Phillip Cottrell, Karen Aim

Some of the most high profile recent criminal cases involving visitors to New Zealand have included the the assault and killing of Scottish journalist Phillip Cottrell (a 17 and 19 year old are accused of that crime) and Scottish tourist Karen Aim, who was bludgeoned to death in Taupo by a 14 year old boy in an apparently motiveless attack. Her family are still searching for reasons, as are we all for all these senseless crimes.

This appeared in The Scotsman recently:

THE parents of a New Zealand teenager who murdered Scottish tourist Karen Aim have come under fire from the coroner carrying out the inquest into the case for not keeping an eye on their son.

Ms Aim, 27, from the Orkney Islands, was battered with a baseball bat just yards from her home in New Zealand in January 2008 by 14-year-old Jache Broughton…

At the inquest yesterday, coroner Dr Wallace Bain said: “At the bottom of it all is the lack of parental supervision. It has completely failed in this case.”

He added: “That Karen Aim had felt safe enough to walk alone and then be attacked near her home, and treated with indignities by a young man, is just awful and sends an awful message overseas of New Zealand…

Ms Aim’s parents chose not to attend the inquest.

However, a family friend who represented them told how the couple longed to know why Broughton committed the brutal murder.

Mr Aim agreed with Dr Bain’s judgment that a lack of supervision by Broughton’s parents had contributed to the murder.

Mr Bain reserved his findings but intimated his report would be critical of the teenager being allowed to roam alone late at night. He also questioned whether Broughton was high on drugs or drunk at the time.

Mr Bain added: “No rational, normal person could have done this without being away with the fairies or on something.”

It will be a tragic set of circumstances if the same factors are at play in the attack on the five year old girl in Turangi and on Mr Cottrell.

Were talking about a serious lack of parental supervision, the misuse of use of alcohol or drugs and dysfunctional behaviour in young New Zealanders,  some of whom are inexorably drawn towards the glamour of organised gangs, of which New Zealand has plenty.

How many times do these awful crimes have to be repeated before New Zealanders face up to this problem and deal with it, enough is enough. Its time to face the facts.

Surely it can’t be that hard. This is supposed to be a great place to raise kids, with one of the best standards of living in the world and a small population of just under 4.5 million.

Similar story

Gang Prospects Jailed For The Rape Of Japanese Tourist In Opotiki

Ranginui Rahi, 18 and Mark Hati, 16 the two youths who pleaded guilty to the rape of a 22 year old Japanese tourist in Opotiki, in the eastern Bay of Plenty, have both been sentenced to 9 years in prison for rape and aggravated buglary.

The two armed offenders broke into the Ford Street house in August and attacked the woman whilst her host family sat in another room watching television.

Mark Hati was said to have aspirations to become a patched member of the Mongrel Mob and expects to be accepted once his sentence has been served. Of course, the Mob may not exist by then which will be no sad loss for New Zealand, or the long suffering residents of Opotiki… more here

Sex and other crimes among children

12 Children were apprehended for sexual assault in the 2008-2009 financial year, including a five-year-old child and two six-year-olds

Over the same period, 716 Children were reprimanded by police. The youngest included a four-year-old girl, two five-year-old girls and five five-year-old boys, for dishonesty offences (shoplifting, burglary or theft of property valued under $500)

Undercurrent of brutality

For more about the undercurrent of brutality that impacts on NZ’s youth read our blogs tagged Child Abuse and Bullying in Schools and our Children and Education facts and stats page.

Lastly, a quote from  “HEAR OUR VOICES” by  Save the Children, NZ:

Aotearoa/ New Zealand has;

• A problem with gangs that are contributing to crime and abuse in the home. Young people are joining gangs for safety and are becoming victims of gang life.
• A problem with bullying – particularly of specific groups like refugee and migrant young people.
• A problem with child abuse which is not just statistics or features in death notices in newspapers but a reality that many of the young story tellers knew and experienced.
• An issue with domestic violence affecting the lives of many children and young people.”

Turangi Campsite Attack – Sixteen Year Old Male Charged

 

A sixteen year old youth from Turangi has been charged in relation to the violent attack on a five year old Belgian girl as she lay sleeping at a Turangi camping ground.

In  a report the Dom Post said

Police tonight announced they had arrested a 16-year-old, who would appear in Taupo Youth Court tomorrow afternoon charged with sexual violation, aggravated wounding and burglary.

Given the degree of Mongrel Mob activity on the night of the crime, and the youth’s age, there is bound to be speculation that the crime was motivated by a desire to be part of a gang – some of the most horrendous crimes in New Zealand are committed by gang prospects.

The police investigation was said to have stretched as far as Wellington, where a matter of weeks ago two youths aged 17 and 19 were arrested for the beating death of Scottish journalist Phillip Cottrell as he walked home from work one morning.

Some other high profile cases in New Zealand where youths have been responsible for serious crimes against females include the killer of Scottish tourist Karen Aim in Taupo and of British immigrant Libby Templeman in Kerikeri. Both youths were aged only 14 when they perpetrated their terrible acts of violence and sexual degradation.

New Zealand’s youngest killer is Bailey Kurariki who was sentenced to 7 years in 2002 for the killing of a pizza delivery worker Michael Choy. He was 12 years old at the time of Mr Choy’s death and is now back behind bars for more recent offending.

Kiwis react to the arrest

New Zealanders quickly made their feelings know on the TradeMe forum, this is a sample of their more printable comments. One makes reference to the as yet unsolved killing of Charanpreet Singh Dhaliwal a security guard who died from head injuries on his first night at work in Auckland.

The camp ground is opposite the local police station, approx 6 kms from the local prison and there are six churches within walking distance of the site.

“I got a chill down my body when I just heard this on the six o’clock news…16…geesus… what is this country coming to…..almost guarantee that this excuse for a human being will get name suppression then a gentle ride through the Youth Courts, as has been said above. I don’t want to hear that he was abused/from a dysfunctional feral family etc, etc, SO fed up with this pc bullshit legal system we have here that makes namby pamby excuses for these ferals..If he is not dealt with really harshly, you can almost guarantee that he will be out to commit far, far worse crimes as he gets older…just so shocking…But well done to the Police for making a speedy arrest, bet he has previous history to.”

“thanks nz police ! many thanks. will you please now get the scum that killed that young indian security boy, on his first night on the job. thanks again.”

“So all those that got on here and accused the father can go eat there words and apoligise too.”

“Quite right. As far as I know Belgium doesn’t have a feral underclass, especially not one who takes their family on international camping holidays “of a lifetime”. This pondscum is just the tip of the iceberg in this “fair” land. He should do 10 years hard labour. That might even make a man of him?”

“A well known church member’s son?
Care to share which church?”

And there were the inevitable references to the attack being gang motivated and comments about personal security in the little town

“it wouldnt be an initiation..it would be a case of being the most violent outrageous etc so you are more prominent and have a higher chance of being ‘approved”

“Probably more one of these boy gangs they have these days i would say and from when i went to Turangi a few months back looking for a lost pup i bred i found the youth there very unapproachable as well as a lot of other residents i actually said to hubby at the time don’t think i would want to walk through here at night and i used to stay at the same camp ground as a kid and my memorys were not what they are now about the place.”

“most if not all of those boys gangs, tend to be prospects and aspire to “greater things”. for want of a better turn of phrase”

Broken New Zealand

You may also be interested in an older blog of ours How New Zealanders Would Fix “Broken New Zealand” from August 2011. We wrote about how Kiwis proposed that their country should be fixed, it makes interesting reading.

Migrants Tales – Two and a Half Years In

Continuing in our popular series of Migrant Tales – first hand accounts of the immigrant experience of New Zealand taken from locations around the net.

Today’s tale was published a few days ago (Dec 2011) on a British expatriate emigration forum, and aside from the experience with the Christchurch refugees, details a fairly typical set of complaints voiced by many immigrants

…Two and a half years in……

……and I just don’t get it. If there are a more inward, casually racist, obstinate and rude group of people then I’ve yet to meet them. Admittedly I’m in Auckland but the only friends we have are other Brit ex-pats and they all feel the same to.

We’ve been ripped off by various ‘Kiwi owned and operated’ companies (Kiwi owned and operated should be viewed as a warning by the way), we took in a couple of ChCh ‘refugees’ after the quake who robbed us and did a flit, we’ve almost been killed on numerous occasions by stupid arseholes driving cars as if they were on a racetrack, we’ve observed the most appalling of bullying and psychotic bdhaviour in our respective public sector employment and almost unbounded stupidity when it comes to approaching any task or recreational pursuit.

I appreciate that there are a lot of ex-pats that won’t admit to making a huge mistake by coming here because it all starts to unravel somewhat but this place is really the arse end of the world with HUGE social problems, a corrupt criminal justice and regulatory environment, it is an inherently racist country and unless your Great Grandfather went to kindy with someone who signed the Waitangi treaty, you will never be accepted.

Club Habitat Attack – Persons of Interest Identified

We’re pleased to hear that police have said persons of interest have been identified in the hunt for the man who savagely attacked a five year old Belgian girl at a Turangi camping ground.

There’s more good news too  – the little girl was released from hospital today and her family have thanked people for their gifts and messages of support.

Hopefully they will be able to leave New Zealand soon, then will start the long and difficult process of putting their lives back together and helping their daughter and son recover.  We wish them all the best for the future.

Part of that healing process will be knowing that the man (or men) responsible will be found quickly and permanently prevented from ever inflicting this harm on another child.

The child was under the care and treatment of Hamilton based and Mangalore-born paediatric surgeon Askar Kukkady and a team of medical workers at Waikato District Health Board.

The Hindu newspaper says of him:

“Dr. Kukkady, who did his MBBS and MS degrees from Kasturba Medical College with a gold medal for general surgery, had his Magister Chirurgiae (M.Ch) degree from Kozhikode Medical College.

He worked in Australia for two years from 1992, and did a fellowship in Oxford. After getting a Fellowship from Edinburgh’s Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), Dr. Kukkady went to Los Angeles, USA, to work in a children’s hospital. “I learned a lot there,” he said.

He migrated to New Zealand in 1997, working in different hospitals, and later settling in Hamilton. In 2002, he became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS), a coveted position for a surgeon.

That, he said, was the toughest exam he took.”

Waikato DHB is indeed fortunate to have him on their team.

 

 

 

Mongrel Mob Active At Time Of Turangi Campsite Attack – Updated

Update 22 January 2012

The Sunday Star times reported today that the youth, who admitted he’d raped and beaten the five year old Belgian girl, has “gang connections” and that the family is “rotten apples”

The Star-Times understands the teen’s father had been associated with the gang, but not since the attack, which shocked New Zealand in the lead-up to Christmas. The boy’s father cannot be named for legal reasons.

The claims were made by several sources close to the investigation.

The family and the boy are connected to a gang,” one said. “The family is gang-associated. It’s not just the father.”

Another source said: “The family are well-recognised as being what they are … rotten apples. Where are you heading in society when you have this underbelly?”

-/-

Various news reports are saying that members of the notorious Mongrel Mob gang (possibly the Notorious chapter of the ‘Mob) were active in the area at the time of an attack on a five year old Belgian tourist on a Turangi campsite. For more about New Zealand’s extensive gang culture click here Gangs of New Zealand.

Talk of gang problems in the township, which is 6 kilometres from the Tongariro-Rangipo Prison, is already leaking out.

The New Zealand Herald reported that gang members were seen in the neighbouring reserve shortly before the attack, saying

Neighbours who live across the road from the holiday park told the Herald that the Mongrel Mob were out in “full force” on Wednesday night.

Gang members were partying at a home in nearby Raukura St and the residents saw a blue or grey van and black hatchback vehicle parked outside the reserve next to the camping ground between 9.30pm and 10pm.

General Google street view of Raukura Street

View Larger Map

The neighbours did not recognise the occupants as members of the local Mongrel Mob chapter, but at least two wore patches and appeared to be having a meeting.

Another man joined the group after walking through the reserve.

“Police are aware of some house parties that were held in Turangi on Wednesday

night and the people at those parties will be spoken to as part of the wider area canvass that is underway… read the full story here

Two Danish tourists who were also staying at the Club Habitat camping ground said they heard screams in the night but were too scared to go and investigate

Tourists Maj Jacobsen and Laerke Ladefoged said they were asleep in their campervan when they heard the screams.

“We sat there wondering if we should go and help, but we were scared,” Ms Ladefoged said.

“We went to see what had happened but were told to leave by police,” Ms Ladefoged said. “It was not until we saw the ambulance arrive that we knew it was serious.”

Ms Jacobsen added: “You hear about this sort of thing but you never think it will be so close to you. We didn’t sleep very well for the rest of the night.”

The campground, one side of which borders State Highway 1 and which is close to a supermarket and petrol station, is often the target of petty burglaries and a burglary is believed to have occurred the night before the attack. Police are investigating whether the two events are connected… read the full story here

Trade Me

After the arrest was announced members of the forum at Trade Me speculated about the alleged offender’s link to the Mongrel Mob saying

“he was there because his (removed) moved him down from another city to prospect for the mob there..(the (removed) not the kid)  i would say most of his bullcrap hes been doing in TGI before this..(burgs etc) was a way of proving himself.. to those who i guess mattered to him.. what he did to that girl though.. i dont know any mob, mate or foe who would like to see that done to a child.. all him.”

Salvation Army Hauora Treatment Programme

The Salvation Army runs the Hauora treatment programme (for P addicts) which caters for members of the Notorious chapter of the Mongrel Mob at the holiday complex in Turangi. It is not known if any members of Notorious were present at the time of the attack

You may read more about the Hauora programme here The Long March on the Salvo’s website and here Gang members pledge to keep their heads down during rehab on Stuff.co.nz

Violent Rape  11 Years Ago

In February 2000 Mark Wikiriwhi Hetaraka attacked and raped a Japanese tourist staying at backpacker hostel in the township.

It’s thought he was released from prison in 2006 and is now at large in Christchurch.

From a Waikato Times article 17/03/2000
“A Turangi man has been sentenced in Rotorua District Court to 10 years in prison for a violent sex attack on a Japanese tourist last month. Sentencing Mark Wikiriwhi Hetaraka, 22, yesterday, Judge Chris McGuire called Hataraka a time bomb and said the community dictated violent sex crimes be punished severely. Judge McGuire sentenced Hetaraka on charges of sexual violation, assault with intent to commit sexual violation and kidnapping of a Japanese tourist in Turangi at the beginning of February. He said the photographs of the woman’s injuries were awful and the attack was predatory and violent. Hetaraka was a time bomb who would almost certainly continue offending if he was not imprisoned.” source Sensible Sentencing Trust