Rotorua Stabbing "Indicative" Of Youth Issues In City

On Friday night a 16 year old youth died on the driveway of a property on Clinkard Avenue Rotorua, he'd been stabbed to death and a 15 year old has been arrested in connection with his death.

A passerby stopped to give assistance to the injured boy as he lay dying, he gave a traumatic account of the events of that night to the NZ Herald, saying that a group of teenagers had been drinking on the property were he found the youth.

A report of the killing was written up by the Herald,  that included the statement

"community leaders called for the Government to tackle youth and alcohol problems in the city." Read the full article HERE

If the community of Rotorua can't manage youth and alcohol problems in its own city what chance does the government stand, is this just case of buck passing? How is the government going to prevent teen parties or youth binge drinking anyway?

The Herald tells its readers

"Last month 11 teens were lucky to survive a van smash. In March, police intercepted a group of youths armed with a knife, wheelbrace and an iron bar on their way to attack students from another school."

School invasions aren't unique to Rotorua, that happens all over the country.

District councillor Charles Sturt opined that the killing was "indicative" of youth issues in the city and that people needed to face up to that:

"We've got people that talk up that we haven't got any issues in Rotorua. But there are specific issues that need addressing and we need some strategies in place to fix those problems,"

Again, that strange disconnect between facts and reality - don't talk about, or acknowledge there's a problem, and it doesn't exist. Rather like the good people of Gisborne that have been spared the pain of knowing about crime in their community because police decided to be selective with what they released to the press? See No Crime in Gisborne, It's Official

Our regular readers may remember that Rotorua may also have the same issues as Gisborne does with the selective release of crime information to the media. . Gisborne's new station supervisor Detective Sergeant Mick Lander, introduced a similar policy in Rotorua where he had moved from. See Crime? What Crime? in the Gisborne Herald

The Herald adds

Deputy Mayor Trevor Maxwell was shocked when told about the death.
"I'm horrified. It's awful. We're still trying to work through all the issues from things like Nia Glassie."
And councillor Geoff Kenny said it was a "terrible tragedy. It's another example of young people not knowing the consequences of their actions."

Nia Glassie wasn't a "thing" she was a three year old Maori girl that was tortured and abused to death by her family in Rotorua, she eventually died from brain injuries. She'd

"been kicked, beaten, slapped, jumped on, held over a burning fire, had wrestling moves copied from a computer game practised on her, placed into a clothes dryer spinning at top heat for up to 30 minutes, folded into a sofa and sat on, shoved into piles of rubbish, dragged through a sandpit half-naked, flung against a wall, dropped from a height onto the floor, and whirled rapidly on an outdoor rotary clothes line until thrown off."

...Nia's abuse became the subject of various campaigns against violence and cruelty to children in New Zealand. Prime Minister Helen Clark said she could not believe that a child could suffer like that without anybody knowing about it and encouraged New Zealanders to report child abuse.
In fact many in the community blame the culture of "not wanting to nark" or inform the police of domestic violence matters as one of the prime contributors to Nia's death. For example, one of the prosecution witnesses Rawhiti Simiona, a neighbour to the house where Nia suffered, told New Zealand television he regretted not calling the police when he saw the toddler being swung on the clothes line. Source

Well there's no way any government can legislate against callous disregard, or pig headed stupidity.
It takes the village to raise the child and the New Zealand village failed little Nia, the child who died on Friday night and the child who stabbed him, just like it's failing countless others like them every day, no amount of avoiding the issues behind that is going to change it.

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Today's posts - click here

Nia Glassie's Killers Sentenced today

See Link Guilty-verdicts-in-nia-glassie-trial.html


Brothers Wiremu Curtis, 19, and Michael Curtis, 22, today received life sentences with minimum non-parole periods of 17.5 years for Nia's murder.

Her mother, Lisa Kuka, 35, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment on two manslaughter charges.
Oriwa Kemp, 18, was sentenced to three years, four months imprisonment and Michael Pearson received three years for their ill treatment of the toddler.
Justice in this case has been seen to be done but what about the thousands of other children like Nia who suffer dreadful abuse at the hands of their families in New Zealand?
Who is going to be reponsible for making sure that there is zero tolerance for any form of child abuse in Aotearora.


UNCIEF Report Ranks NZ as amongst worst in OECD for child abuse

A 2003 UNICEF report showed that New Zealand has one of the highest rates of child death from maltreatment (physical abuse and neglect) among rich OECD countries.

It ranked 25th on a league table of 27 countries with 1.2 deaths per 100,000 children

Guilty Verdicts in the Nia Glassie Trial

Brothers Wiremu (19) and Michael (22) Curtis were found guilty today
in Rotorua High Court for the brutal murder, torture and abuse of little 4 year old Nia Glassie.

The child's mother Lisa Kuka, 35, was found guilty on two manslaughter charges for failing to protect her daughter and for not seeking medical assistance for her.

Two other people - Michael Pearson, 20, and Michael Curtis' partner Oriwa Kemp, 18, were found not guilty of manslaughter in relation to the death but guilty on other charges.

All are now in custody awaiting sentencing.

Public sentiment was outraged as details emerged during the trial of of the horrific abuse Nia suffered at the hands of the accused. Hopes are high that suitably harsh sentences will be given, not only as a suitable punishment but also as a deterrent.

Alarmingly High rate of Child Death from Maltreatment in NZ

A 2003 UNICEF report showed that New Zealand has one of the highest rates of child death from maltreatment (physical abuse and neglect) among rich OECD countries.

It ranked 25th on a league table of 27 countries with 1.2 deaths per 100,000 children

From Stuff.co.nz

"The abuse suffered by Rotorua three-year-old Nia Glassie during her short but tortured life included:

* Kicked in the face, causing her nose to bleed;

* Hit, slapped, punched and jumped on;

* Objects such as shoes thrown at her;

* Verbal insults, for example continually being told she was ugly;

* Forced into a television cabinet drawer;

* Dragged through the sandpit half-naked;

* Shoved into piles of rubbish;

* Made to bathe in cold water in mid-winter;

* Folded into a sofa and sat on;

* Flung against the wall;

* Held high in the air and dropped to the floor;

* Used for adult wrestling moves copied from a Playstation game;

* Whirled rapidly on a rotary clothesline until flung off;

* Put into a tumble dryer and spun on high temperature;

* Had her head and feet dangled into the fireplace when the fire was lit;

Source: NZ Herald, 28 Sept 2008