Bail Fail continues – has Select Committee ignored the Crusher?

The very week the Select Committee releases its recommendations on amendments to the Bail Act following numerous murders committed by offenders on bail, another young mother is murdered – the offender was yet again on bail for a previous violent offence against her. http://nzh.tw/10846949

The Sensible Sentencing Trust is rightly asking has Justice Minister ‘Crusher’ Collins gone soft or has the Select Committee ignored her.

Trust Spokesman Garth McVicar said the answer is simple, “Anyone accused of a violent offence should not be granted bail, full stop”.

“What part of that does this Select Committee not understand?”

“Anything less will mean this violence will continue and innocent people will keep being murdered – sadly the victims are normally young woman killed by jealous, out of control young males”.

Mr McVicar said, “A year on from Christie Marceau’s death and a 6 month Select Committee process, in which hundreds of submitters called for a range of measures to balance the Bail Act in favour of victims of serious violent crime, little is proposed to change. We are bitterly disappointed that the Select Committee appears to have ignored most of the submissions given.”

“Whilst the Bail Amendment Bill removes the presumption in favour of bail for 18 and 19 year olds, it provides nothing new to safeguard against serious first time offenders, like Akshay Chand, who had no prior record.

"We asked that Judge’s be required to give specific consideration to threats made against victims. This has been ignored.”

“We sought cumulative sentences for crimes committed on bail, to provide a serious deterrent and true justice for additional victims of crime committed while on bail. This has also been ignored.”

“Advice from the Ministry of Justice is that the effects of all of the amendments will mean only an additional 50 prison beds would be required. This is clearly tinkering at the margins.”

“The Bail Amendment Act takes a harder line on first time offenders accused of a Class A drug offence, than it does with first time offenders accused of serious violent crimes”.

“We think the Select Committee has got its priorities completely around the wrong way."

Mr. McVicar said the only good thing to come out of last week's case was the offender had taken his own life saving the tax-payers the cost of a trial and another shambolic “Not guilty by way of insanity” debacle.

“We hope Minister of Justice, Judith Collins, is prepared to toughen up the Bill since the Select Committee has failed to do so.”

“As things stand at present very little has changed and innocent people will continue to be murdered, Judith Collins is on record as saying ‘crime is a choice and prison is voluntary’ it appears the Select Committee are not listening – or the Crusher's gone soft.”

“Either way the public deserve an answer from a Government that got elected on a promise to get tough on crime.”

“The proof will be in the final amendment to the Bail Act”. ENDS

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