Korean Student, Tae Won Chung, Sentenced To Prison For Classroom Stabbing

Korean student, Tae Won Chung, has pleaded guilty to the classroom stabbing of teacher David Warren at Avondale College and was today sentenced to 18 months in prison. A report in the Herald says:

"Chung's lawyer, David Jones QC, told the Auckland District Court that the catalyst for the violent attack was culturally insensitive comments by the victim Mr Warren, the day before the school attack.
The day before the attack the teacher made comments to Chung about possible conscription to the Korean Army and about a possibility of North Korea attacking South Korea.
The court was told this left Chun "festering" with anger and he took a knife with him to school the next day.
The Crown said the stabbing was premeditated and that Mr Warren's comments couldn't be seen as provocation."

 Read what the Korean community is saying about the incident:
Korean Foreign Student Stabs New Zealand teacher, Charges of Racism in NZ Schools by Korean Students

A debate has recently raged over the partial defence of provocation after it was used in the trial of the murder of Sophie Elliot. The government is said to be reviewing it, along with other laws relating to sex crimes and child protection.

See also blogpost 4 March: 'Racial sensitivity may have caused classroom stabbing'