In the wake of the coward punch attack on Fau Vake over the weekend, a petition set up by the Sensible Sentencing Trust to bring in harsher sentences for these attacks has already reached well over eleven thousand signatures in less than 48 hours.

“This petition is still growing in number and shows how strongly the people of New Zealand are feeling about this issue, and how important it is for the government to start listening," says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“We launched this petition to pressure the government to introduce legislation that would deliver stronger sentences for these attacks.”

“We have this legislation already written up and is ready to be tabled. It would see a new murder offence introduced into the Crimes Act and ensure minimum mandatory prison time is brought in for these types of offences.”

“If we don’t address this issue, tragic incidents like what occurred over the weekend will just continue to happen on our streets.”

“Not only will harsher sentences act as a deterrent, but it will, more importantly, bring a sense of justice for victims and their families, hold offenders to account for their cowardly act, and make our streets safer by locking these thugs up.”

“Too often the charges are for a lower-level offence with lower-level maximum sentences, with the end sentence that is often received is just a slap on the wrist.”

“The law needs to change so we can make people think twice before they act, hold offenders to account, and to bring justice for victims.”

Petition · New Zealand Government : Harsher 'Coward-Punch' laws needed in New Zealand · Change.org
 

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