SENSIBLE SENTENCING TRUST

MEDIA RELEASE
21 July 2006

Spay parents who abuse their kids

"A month has gone by and we still don't know who killed Chris and Cru. That's not good enough and it gives comfort to would-be child abusers," says Sensible Sentencing Trusts newly appointed spokesman on Crime Prevention, Marc Alexander.

"The problem seems to be that the Kahui family are stonewalling and frustrating police investigations and frankly, its time to fess up. The tragedy of the infants abuse and deaths should not be subject to cultural protocols but to a simple matter of justice. No-one should ever be able to commit a crime of abuse resulting in death and hide behind 'grief' with the complicity of their family.

"What happened to the twins is unforgivable, but the saddest thing is that their short lives were entrusted to such a family. Sadly it’s the tip of the ice-berg. Remember five-year-old James Whakaruru killed by his step-father in 1999, or two-year-old Hinewaoriki "Lillybing"Karaitiana-Matiaha killed by her aunt in 2000? How about three-year-old Tangaroa Matui who was killed by his step-father? Pirimai Simmonds killed by his father in 2001, or two-year-old Delcelia Witika beaten to death by her parents in 1991?

"The public outrage has already ebbed for these deaths and sadly the Kahui twins homicides are fading as well. These children all died violent deaths at the hands of family members who were responsible for protecting them but chose to forsake that responsibility.

"Instead of pursuing appropriate penalties and commonsense interventions we now predictably have babies conceived to people with no intention of becoming parents. Its time to stop tip-toeing around and start dealing with the reality that some people shouldn't have children. Anybody who is a proven abuser of children should never be given a second chance to finish off the job. Apart from whatever appropriate penalty they receive from the courts, they should also be prevented from ever having children again. Bugger their human rights and neuter them. You cannot abuse children you haven't got.

"No more child abuse, no more excuses, no more children."

ENDS

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