Migrant Stories - "Why I think New Zealand is backward" Part II

Yesterday as part our Migrant Stories series we entered an account from a British person, who'd lived in New Zealand and returned to the UK, entitled "Why I think New Zealand is backward".

Her post was made on an emigration forum frequented mainly by British people and some New Zealanders. It drew a massive response, some of it hostile, overly defensive and insecure. Since then she has published a fuller explanation of why she thinks New Zealand is backward by answering questions (in italics) that were put to her by another person. This is her response, this is why so many migrants and their families do not settle in New Zealand. Read, learn and understand.

"In response I will try to explain and i apoligise to all those people who felt offended by my unwisely choice of words.

No choice in the supermarkets, if u want to home bake u r ok, want a convenience meal forget it! I personally find the 'convenience meal' mentality in the UK sad. Get a cook book! It is healthier to cook your own food for starters.

Hi most of our meals are cooked from scratch, but when u have got lots of things to attend to and the kids need to be here there and everywhere a convenience meal is just that a convenience. I made a birthday cake and went to buy some writing pens, to write happy birthday on the top, could i get any NO the woman in the supermarket looked at me as though I was strange and gladly handed me a piping bag!!!! I thought they were extinct

Education is appaling, my opinion of having 4 kids in the UK system then NZ Some posters will disagree with that according to previous posts I've read. I can't comment.

Being a Lecturer with kids in very good schools in the UK, I found the education system appalling. NCEA is supposed to be on par with our GCSE's and A Levels, in my opinion there is no comparison. When head teachers will not call in parents of disobedient children because their parents are a gang members and will not upset them, it beggered belief!!

No expectations for kids to leave school and go to University. Who's responsibility is it? the schools? government? why not the parents?
It is the parents and the schools responsibility to inspire kids to attain the best they can out of life.


The people are NOT intelligent and to get an intelligent conversation is near on impossible. Sounds like a massively unfair generalisation to me.
This was a bad choice of words, very sorry people. I longed for an academic conversation, a debate, to speak to a person who could have a stimulating conversation was very limiting, it could have been the area we were in.

Health and Safety is a joke. In what way? Roads, driving the mountain road every day to take kids to schools, no barrieres at all. Allowing kids to drive at 15. The fact that when there are health and safety rules in place no one takes any notice of them. Tokoro Mill has safety bars to stop people falling in once the drains are opened but these have to be removed because the suction truck hose does not fit through it, so they have to lift it and any person could fall into the pit and would die within minutes. Also the collection of chemicals, they take anything where are the ADR certificates.

Music is mostly american rap and NZ follow american culture. As do half the planet!
Spending lots of time with teenagers, the american music and influence I felt was more prominent in NZ at least in the Uk they promote many new British bands. Again something I suppose I didn't expect

Wages are do not match expectations, therefore lifestyle you have previously had is no where in sight. You should have known this before moving to NZ. No-one moves to NZ to get rich. There are millions of posts about that.
I knew my wages would be half what I was on in the UK, but actually having the experience of having to live on them was very difficult, when u live by certain standards.


The Kiwi's do not want progress especially in all the farms I visited. What do you mean? do they use oxen to plough the fields?
hahaha you make me laugh. I was teaching farmers and their labourers how to use a new hand held computer and they are quite happy to tell you that they do not want computers and that they want new zealand to stay as it was. I found this difficult to comprehend especially as in the Uk we embrace new technologies. Also while teaching Korean and Japanese students they were shocked how behind with technology NZ was. They came with their studies downloaded to MP3's.

NZ is not safer than the UK in our experience. I'm sure many on BE NZ will disagree with that.
I can understand why lots of people may not agree with this, but in our experience this was the case. My 15 year old daughter was sexually assaulted in NZ and the culprit got sent to prison for 2 years. As I said in the Uk we take our kids to and from schools by car, so we felt like lots of others that NZ was safer so let hr walk! The culprits attitude in court stated, "If she was my daughter I would not let her out of my sight"

Drugs are a big acceptable part of their culture. Drugs are everywhere! Most teens will dapple in or come across drugs. You should educate them to be responsible
Of course every responsible parent in any country teaches their kids about drugs and their dangers, but we were not ready for the ACCEPTABLE part, that it is Ok to smoke dope in front of kids and teach them it is OK. I am sorry it in NOT OK to me or my family, hence the move away. it is endemic in NZ just another part of their culture.

The biggest suicide rate in teenagers is in NZ as the pressure on kids to go out and work to bring in money for the family, is a bigger pressure than getting a good education in the UK. It is all relative.
Agreed, different cultures expect different things from their children. But don't forget also that it is still Ok to beat your kids to a pulp in NZ and it happens as I have done lots of research and it is not a frowned upon, again it is accepted. These are things that are not anticipated when moving to a new culture until you experience them

College courses are few and far between. Such as? While doing some research a while back I came across Unis in Auckland and Christchurch, and I didn't have to look very hard.
Choices of what you can study is still very limiting. Teaching in a UK college with 350,000 students, to a few hundred students at the local college in NZ, again this is due to population so if your kids choose a course , it is quite likely that it is going to be a long way from home in NZ to enable them to persue a career. Universities have a better choice, but a UK degree is better recognised that many other countries degrees.

Being so far away from other countries, it has been left behind. I understand that this could be an issue for some, but for me this is what is appealing about NZ

Again perspective. I have never said NZ was bad, it is a matter of perspective. Again the reality did not hit me until I lived in NZ and could not jump on a plane and visit another country so easily. It is appealing if u want seclusion and a quiet peaceful life, I agree.


The fact that there is no structure to society is very hard to work with, especially as the UK is so structured. Please explain what you mean by this.
Stucture, rules and regulation are not adhered to. Drink Driving- I was at a petrol station and a man in the next car drove up, drunk so much he couldn't stand and had a child in the car about 2years old. The police turn a blind eye to drink driving, driving without seat belts. They do you for speeding though as it gains them money, like other countries. it is hard to explain that there is no infastructure maybe someone on her can explain better. Where you are brought up with rules and regulations, trying to live the the sloppiness of it all is difficult.


Lots of Adults in NZ believe in being in gangs, which their kids follow. This sounds like utter bollocks to me. Lots of adults all over NZ want to be in gangs? nonsense
So there are NO MONGREL MOB AND BLACK POWER GANGS????? Get out of here LOL. These Gangs are known by the police, but even the police will not deal with them. They pick up the young wannabe members cos it is easier! So there was No shooting in broad daylight of a Mongrel Mob member in Rotorua in 2006 and the shooting of a Black Powers daughter (2 year old) in 2007? I just dreampt this did I. read the papers. These gangs do rule parts of Rotorua. Most doctors and Counsellors were also shocked by the amount of gang culture in Rotoura.

I have tried to explain from my point of view, how I felt in New Zealand. I know there will always be people who are opposed to what I say. But please remember, if i do not answer straight away I am many miles from you now. New Zealand was a lovely place to visit but I did not feel I could stay."

For many migrants one of their prime motivators for moving to New Zealand is to provide a better life for their children. Sadly, for some people, New Zealand fails to deliver.

In the New Zealand News this day:
*The funeral of taxi driver Hiren Mohini who was stabbed in a frenzied assault on Sunday morning link
*British girl and her mum commended for fighting off sex attacker in North Shore link
*Police appeal for help in catching gunman in yesterday's bank robbery in Napier link 
*Desert Road murderer gets 16 years jail term link
*3 Cheetahs escape from Christchurch park link
*3 shots fired at bus carrying children in Christchurch link
*BMX star sentenced for sex attacks on two 14 year olds in Rangiora schoolyard link
*Hastings police pursuit ends in crash link
*Black Power gang member, 17, raped 10 year old link
*Train driver ran stop light link 
*Home detention for woman who supplied P to ex-husband link
*Drunk-driver's sentence disgusts widow link
*Negotiators talk man down from crane in Auckland link 
*Shoplifter wielded knife, threatens public in Christchurch mall link
*Central city pick-ups lead to sex attacks in Hamilton link
*North Shore primary school teacher on sex charges link
*Man avoids jail for vicious assault link
*School head teachers opposite national standards in education scheme link
*No jail for $15,000 robbery link
*Unemployment raises to 10 year high link


Please click on any of the topics in the Labels List below the comments section of this page to read other posts relating to the issues this woman has raised.

Today's posts - click here

Mangere Sex Attacker - 14 Year Old Arrested

According to various news reports a 14 year old youth has been arrested in connection with yesterday's sex attack in Mangere. There have been a spate of attacks on young women and girls in the area (see yesterday's blog post) which include the rape of an 8 year old child.

Police aren't saying if the youth is responsible for all the attacks and or if the attacks are connected.

The Herald published a list of the attacks, all of which happened between 2-4pm, that are known about so far:

"September 8: 12-year-old girl dragged along alleyway and assaulted.
October 19: 8-year-old girl pulled to ground and raped in alleyway.
Thursday: 28-year-old mother assaulted while pushing pram along alleyway.
Yesterday: Mother in 20s carrying groceries assaulted in alleyway.
* Police are seeking a Polynesian man aged 18 to 20, about 1.65m and medium build, wearing dark-green hoodie and dark jeans."

The description of the offender doesn't seem to match that of the youth that's been arrested so it remains to be seen if the police have caught their man. Parents are still being advised to watch their children and police and Maori wardens are patrolling the area.

Serial Sex Attacker Strikes Again In Mangere

Police are hunting for a sex attacker who has victimised a number of girls and young women in Mangere, South Auckland. The assaults all took place in and around a walkway between Cape Road and Mascot Avenue over the last 2 months, the last one on October 22 was when a young mother was attacked whilst pushing her baby in his pram. Other victims include 8 and 12 year old girls.


View Larger Map of the walkway

Parents are being advised to accompany their children to and from school.
Update: a 14 year old youth was arrested the following day. see blog post

Opotiki Tourist Rape - Investigations Continue

Investigations into the alleged rape of a 22 year old Asian tourist in Opotiki are continuing, the young woman was attacked during a home invasion in the small town on Monday at 10pm. See Opokiti tourist rape

Two teenagers aged 16 and 17 were arrested and re-appeared in court yesterday, 4 Sept.

The young woman is said to be working with police investigators and receiving support before continuing her travels.

In June an Opotiki man was charged with raping a male French hitchhiker at gunpoint.

Opotiki also hit the headlines in December of last year when two teenage girls were charged with the murder of elderly man John Rowe, a retired school teacher. His badly beaten body was found at his home in November 2008. The girls, were aged 15 and 17 at the time of their initial court hearing.

Their trial is scheduled for 16 November.

Opotiki Tourist Rape - Two Teenagers Arrested

Two teenagers aged 16 and 17 have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape of an Asian woman in Opotiki on Monday night. See post: Female tourist raped in Opotiki

They are due to appear in Whakatane District Court on Friday and police are set to ask for bail to be refused.

For today's posts click here

Female Tourist Raped In Opotiki

nz.news.yahoo.com

"A tourist has been subjected to what police describe as a very serious and alarmingly brazen sex attack in the Eastern Bay of Plenty town of Opotiki.

Two men forced their way into the 22-year-old's bedroom last night and both sexually violated her while other people were in the house. Police say the other occupants were not aware of what was happening.

Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Standen says staff are completing a forensic examination of the scene and are speaking to a number of residents in the area.

He says the brazen nature of the crime and its seriousness mean they want to find the attackers as quickly as possible."

Opotiki was also the scene of an alleged rape of a 24 year old male French tourist in May of this year. A 32-year-old man was arrested in Motu Road and charged with various offences including abduction, sexual violation, indecent assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.

View Larger Map

Another Attempted Abduction in Auckland

Following yesterday's attempted abduction of an 11 year old girl in North Shore it has been revealed that a second kidnapping attempt was made on a 14 year old in Ravenna Way, Otara. (google street view: link)

Although the two incidents are not thought to be linked they follow a series of similar crimes in the
region where school children have been attacked in broad daylight. One of which was the abduction and rape of a 15 year old in Henderson, by a bogus truancy officer and another the attempted abduction of a 10 year old in Stanmore Bay, Whagaparoa

Attempted Kidnapping on Auckland's North Shore

Source: NZ Herald

"Police are investigating the attempted abduction of an 11-year-old schoolgirl on Auckland's North Shore today.

The girl was walking to school in Beach Haven , when she was approached from behind by a man in a Honda Civic two-door hatchback who got out and grabbed hold of her, police said.

The girl put up a struggle, eventually breaking free and running to school, where she raised the alarm.

The attack happened on Fordham St.

Police are looking for a Maori or Polynesian man, possibly in his late teens, about 1.8m tall, who was wearing a white and black cap with thick white stripes, baggy jeans and a green and white basketball-type shirt.

His car had a dent in the driver's door and its registration possibly started with the letters XA.

Police appealed for help from the public."

NZPA

Gang fight at a Wellington School

More evidence that gang activities and violent behaviour in New Zealand's schools are getting out of control:

Source NZ Herald

"A 23-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful assembly, following a brawl in the grounds of Hutt Valley High School yesterday.

Police said a series of fights broke out shortly before 3pm after a group of three adults and six youths arrived at the school and confronted a student about a previous fight.

The school field erupted into a brawl when about 30 students went to aid their schoolmate.

About a dozen police were needed to quell the fighting and arrest the nine members of the group, who the school's principal said were wearing gang colours.

All nine were charged with unlawful assembly."
One of the 2,000 students at the school has published a video of the incident, believed to have been started by gang called the "Wax Assassins", on YouTube but it was removed soon afterwards.
However, there was an independent account of the stoush on topnews.net by Kohia Dennison which included the photograph shown above:

"After a Hutt High School student was attacked on a college sports field, nine people have been arrested.
It should be mentioned here that the three adults and six youth aged 14-17, who were not associated with college and have been charged with unlawful assembly. They will appear in court tomorrow.
Following a series of fights, which broke out just before 3pm, more than a dozen officers arrived at a spot.
During the violent fight, a cut was received by one female student after a rock was thrown at her.
It was confirmed by inspector Geoff Gwyn; Lower Hutt Police Response Manager that group confronted a student about a previous altercation involving a friend.
Mr. Gwyn said, "The group had been told to leave the college grounds earlier this morning but returned this afternoon and sought out the student. Scuffles broke out after 30 or so students went to aid their schoolmate."

The "Wax Assassins" are a youth gang from Wainuiomata with links to the Mongrel Mob

Human Rights Abuses at the school

An article on the Asia Pacific Forum.net website recently highlighted human rights abuses and bullying at the school, whereby boys were dragged onto the school field and violated by their classmates.

Concerned parents reported the incident to the Human Rights Commissioner and calls were made for a national enquiry into pupil safety and school violence:

"The Human Rights Commission is to investigate schools' anti-bullying policies to see whether children's rights to safety are being protected.
The move follows calls for a national inquiry by parents of bullying victims at Hutt Valley High School. The investigation is linked to a study by the children's commissioner into pupil safety and school violence.
Chief Human Rights Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan agreed to analyse children's human rights concerns after meeting Hutt Valley parents. Her report will focus on "the right to safety and security of the person, the right to education and the rights of victims".
It will consider how human rights are addressed by schools' anti-bullying policies and make recommendations in situations in which policies are not protecting children.
The Government unveiled anti-bullying initiatives this year after a spate of school violence.

Documents issued under the Official Information Act show Education Minister Chris Carter called for urgent action amid fears that schools were not treating bullying as a priority.

Last December nine Hutt Valley High School boys were dragged to the ground and violated by a pack of six classmates.

The victims' parents wrote to the Human Rights Commission alleging a "systematic failure" by state agencies responsible for protecting children. They asked for a national inquiry into violence and human rights abuses in schools.
The commission has agreed to assist Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro's school safety investigation, which is due to be issued in February.
The Hutt Valley parents' spokesman welcomed the investigations, saying playground violence was "a much broader issue than one school ... We're talking about child abuse".

13 Year Old Robbed and Raped in Public Toilet

Source: Stuff NZ
By Marty Sharpe - The Dominion Post

"Hastings police are investigating a alleged sexual assault on a 13-year-old girl in a central city block of public toilets.

Senior sergeant Dave Greig said the girl was found wandering around the city centre in a "dazed and confused" condition around 8pm yesterday and was taken to the police station by members of the public.

The Hastings girl told police that between 6pm and 7pm she had been approached by a group of 5-6 teenage males outside the Russell Street public toilets

"She was allegedly taken into the toilet by those youths where her handbag was taken from her and allegedly sexually violated by one of those youths," Mr Greig said.

Police recovered property of interest in the toilets last night. The toilet block was cordoned off overnight and a scene examination would take place this morning.

"At this stage we're appealing for any witnesses who were near the toilets between approximately 6-7pm last night to come forward," Mr Greig said."

Two other separate attacks

The allegation comes just weeks after two other incidents involving attacks on women in the area.

At New Year an attacker forced his way into a young woman's home in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere link and physically assaulted her.

And another just 3 days later when a 42 year old woman was attacked and pinned to the ground when walking through St Leonards Park at about 4.30am. Link

Tokoroa Sex Attack

Link ODT

Police are appealing for witnesses to a sex attack which occurred in the Waikato town of Tokoroa on Saturday night when a 25 year old woman was attacked in the Pine Grove subdivision between 10pm and midnight.

Tokoroa has had its fair share of crime in recent years, see link.

The most high profile probably the sexual assault and vicious murder of 66 year old teacher Lois Dear in her classroom at the Strathmore Primary School. Link NZ Herald

Her killer Whetu Te Hiko was sentenced to a minimum non parole period of 18 years.

Whetu Te Hiko had 13 prior convictions, eight of which were for assaulting women and children in 10 months, from April 2004 to February 2005.

His brother, Hamuera Te Hiko, was jailed for 14 years for the rape and manslaughter of his wife Eliza in December 2000. Link Sensible sentencing trust

Dutch Government Warns Tourists of New Zealand Crime

Source: NZ Herald
Edward Gay

"The Dutch Government is warning tourists travelling to New Zealand of "serious crime" after a second Dutch tourist was raped in the space of two years.

The 22-year-old woman was attacked early last Thursday as she and her 25-year-old partner slept in their station wagon at the Five Mountains Holiday Park in Tuatapere, west of Invercargill.

Police have arrested a 25 year-old man in relation to the attack.

A new heading - "Serious Crime" has now been added to the New Zealand travel advice page on the Dutch Government website.

Translated, the page says although serious crime does not happen often, the number of robberies is increasing and campers are being targeted.

The Dutch travel advice warns campers to use official camping sites and not to park up in the "wild".

The site mentions the rape of the Dutch woman last week as well as an attack in 2006."

This blog has been covering violent crime against tourists of varying nationalities in NZ and raising concernover the escalation in the frequency of the attacks, especially on back packers and campers link link

Sex Assault at Dunedin Back Packer Hotel

Dunedin police have arrested a man for the alleged sexual assault of a woman at the Leviathan Hotel last night.

The man, aged 50, was found near to the hotel as police set up a cordon and spoke to the occupants at around 8:50 pm.

The hotel offers cheap accommodation and is often used by back packers and trampers. Reviews on Tripadvisor.com are mixed and the hotel is described as being like a rabbit warren, situated on a very busy road and with a car park filled with huge juggernauts. Questions are bound to be raised about security at the hotel and access by non residents.

At this stage the nationality of the victim has not been released and police have stated that the incident is not linked to two other rapes which occurred in the town over the weekend.

This blog has previously highlighted assaults on back packers and campers in NZ and the growing frequency of this type of attack in New Zealand : link

Update:
The alleged attacker was later named as 54 year old William Daniel Stewart who was staying at the hotel. Stewart is of dual nationality and holds a Canadian passport.

Australian Tourist Attacked in Nelson

Source: Stuff

Police are hunting for a sex attacker who assaulted an Australian tourist walking along a roadside in Nelson, South Island.

The woman had been in NZ with a tour group and had decided to walk from Tahunanui to central Nelson to buy souvenirs when the man dragged her into undergrowth near Auckland Point school.

Her screams were heard by the occupants of a passing car who came to her aid and chased the offender who has yet to be found by police. He was described as having light olive skin, and being about 180cm tall and of medium build, in his early 40s, with greying hair, stubble, bad body and breath odour.

Police have released a CCTV video of the alleged attacker:



The assault comes days after the rape and robbery of a young Dutch backpacking couple at a campsite in South Island and is part of a rising trend of violent crime in NZ.

Also in the news was the arrest of three men for the gang rape of a woman in Matamata last Friday, her nationality is not known at this stage.

On the same day residents of the small town were incensed when a 16 year old youth, out on bail for aggravated robbery despite police objections, raped a 15 year old girl within hours of his release.

NZ First MP Ron Mark commented "When is the Youth Court going to take victims into account instead of worrying about the sensibilities of vicious young mongrels?

To bail him to his home, where his family obviously doesn't give a damn and from where he already absconded at the weekend to allegedly commit rape, borders on the insane."

Matamata-Piako District Mayor Hugh Vercoe said the bail -rape issue was "extremely frustrating, Matamata is a good little town, it does not have a lot of crime and is a very tight-knit sort of place."

Perhaps he would like to reconsider that statement in the light of recent events.

Another Campsite Rape

Sources: Voxy NZ, Stuff

In what is getting to be a rather common occurrence in New Zealand another tourist has been sexually assaulted at a campsite in the country.

A 22 year old Dutch visitor was raped and her partner robbed at knife point whilst sleeping in their car at the Five Mountains Holiday Park in Tuatapere, west of Invercargill, South Island.

A 25-year-old man has been arrested.

Campground owners Zane and Tina Barrett said they were "absolutely devastated" by the attack and would close at the end of March.

The attacker, who is said to be known to Mr and Mrs Barrett,was reported by his mother when she recognised a tea towel and filleting knife used in the attack and shown in news reports.

Update

25 year old Maakiti Joseph Tipene was later sentenced to 10 years prison with a minimum of 7 years non parole for rape, three charges of sexual violation, two of unlawful detention, two of threatening to kill and one charge of burglary.

Tipene was something of a 'career criminal'.

According to the Sensible Sentencing Trust's offender database he

"Unlawfully detained and threatened to kill a Dutch couple in Tuatapere, Southland in January 2009, and repeated sexual violation and rape of the woman

Alarmingly lengthy list of past convictions including, drink driving, dangerous driving, failing to stop, driving while disqualified, driving while forbidden, substantial cheque and credit card fraud, burglary, receiving stolen goods, theft of a shop till, theft of food, theft of beer, theft of a chequebook, theft of fuel containers, theft of a car stereo, car conversion, burglary, possession of cannabis, disorderly behaviour, disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence, and other charges intentional damage etc etc "

Ten years would seem to be a very lenient sentence under the circumstances, this man could be released back into the community to continue where he left off when he is just 32.

Violent and sexual assaults on visitors to NZ are occurring far more frequently in recent years, this blog has reported some of the cases please see link: violence against tourists

Visitors to the country are well advised to exercise every precaution to safeguard their personal safety, as they would do in any other international location, and not be lulled into a false sense of security by accepting assurances that NZ is a "safe country" with low rates of crime.

The exact opposite is true - NZ has one of the highest reported crime rates in the world, see link: World Crime Rates

Click on map to enlarge

Violent crime on the increase

Police crime statistics (see link) show that in the year 2007-2008 there were 58,761 cases of violent crime, an increase of 11% on the previous year.

There were also a 3,542 reports of sex crimes, 2,364 of which were sexual attacks.

British Schoolgirl Murdered in Kerikeri

Police today announced that a 14 year old student from Kerikeri high school has been charged with the murder and sexual assault of 15 year old Libby Templeman who died last weekend. Although the youth was known to Libby police say that it he was not her boyfriend.

Libby moved from Britain three years ago to the small close knit Northland town of Kerikeri. Friends say the family had got "fed up" with Britain and had decided to emigrate to New Zealand for a better life.

However, due to a downturn in work, the Templemans had relocated to the North Shore where Libby was due to start school at Rangitoto last week and had already auditioned for a part in the school production. She had returned to Kerikeri on her own to visit friends for the weekend.

The small rural town was stunned by her murder, she was a vivacious and well loved member of the community and will be very much missed by everyone who knew her.

Libby's ambition was to be an actress, a singer or anything theatrical and had appeared in pantomimes when they lived in the UK and also in Kerikeri. She was fun and outgoing, a bubbly girl who had grown into an independent, outgoing young woman.

Her funeral and public memorial will be held tomorrow.

RIP Libby.

Guilty Verdict in Masterton Back Packer Assault

Maia Crawford Rongonui was found guilty yesterday of assaulting a 21-year-old tourist with intent to commit sexual violation, and sexually violating her in an attack at Easter last year.

Rongonoui had previous convictions that included burglary, two assaults and one of carrying out an indecent act with intent to offend. He's now in custody awaiting sentencing.

Full story here

Links to http://emigratetonewzealand.blogspot.com/2008/09/tourists-sex-attacker-in-court.html

Tourist's Sex Attacker In Court

Another serious assault on a back packer has been highlighted in a trial in Masterton, South Island today. The incident is yet another illustration of the dangers that tourists continue to face in New Zealand and which they seem to be unaware of.

Source: Stuff, Mon 8 Sept, 2008
"A young Australian tourist thought a teenager was being friendly and helpful in offering to show her back to her backpackers, before he launched a brutal sex attack on her, a court was told today.

Maia Crawford Rongonui, 18, of Masterton, went on trial in Christchurch District Court today over allegations that he assaulted the woman with intent to sexually violate her, and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

He denied both charges before Judge Jane Farish and a jury, at a trial expected to last four days."

Guilty verdict

Link http://emigratetonewzealand.blogspot.com/2008/09/guilty-verdict-in-masterton-back-packer.html

Life in New Zealand

You've probably seen the 100% Pure New Zealand ads, Lord of the Rings films and "documentaries" (I use the term loosely) showing new migrants' first few days in New Zealand. You may also have read the following statement from the Department Of Labour's Website:

Source: New Start. New Opportunities. New Zealand

"In many ways it’s not what we have that’s important to our quality of life – it’s what we don’t have! We don’t have high crime rates, our police don’t carry guns and instances of corruption are virtually unheard of. We don’t have abject poverty or hunger and we don’t have the pollution, congestion, health issues and cramped city living that we see elsewhere."

More on that later.

There are some other avenues of research to wander down if you're interesting in getting a more balanced view of NZ life, away from the glare of the scenery. First, some mainstream works depicting life in New Zealand:

Once Were Warriors
source: Wikipedia
"New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, first published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence. It was the basis of a 1994 film of the same name, directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Rena Owen and Temuera Morrison. The novel was followed by two sequels, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? in 1997 and Jake's Long Shadow in 2002."



Whale Rider
Source: Wikipedia
"A 2003 film directed by Niki Caro, based on the 1987 novel The Whale Rider by New Zealand Māori author Witi Ihimaera. The world premiere was on September 9, 2002, at the Toronto International Film Festival"














World's Fastest Indian
Source: Wikipedia
"A film based on the legendary New Zealand speed bike racer Burt Munro. Munro set numerous land speed records for motorcycles with engines less than 1000 cc at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in the late 1950s and into the 1960s. Many of his records still stand to this day."











Where else to look? Most of the Daily Newspapers have an on-line edtion. A list is here, you may like to find the news for the region you're interested in. There are also many online forums where migrants discuss the ins and outs of migration in many countries, some of these sites have a tendency to supress what are perceived to be negative comments about New Zealand.

"We don't have high crime rates"

Crime Statistics
According to Nationmaster New Zealand has the second highest rate of reported crime in the world at a rate of 105.881 per 1,000 people. The top ten countries are ranked as

1. Dominica
2. New Zealand
3. Finland
4. Denmark
   
5. Chile
6. UK
7. Monteserrat
8. USA
9. Netherlands
10. South Africa

A more detailed breakdown for the statistics of different types of crimes may be found in the document New Zealand Crime Statistics 2007.


As you can see the incidence of violent crime is cause for concern (click on image to enlarge)

Hardly a day goes by without a news report of an armed robbery, unprovoked assault, incident of domestic violence or other violent crime. Here are just some of thre crime reports from around the country that are in the news today.

Woman's Body Found in Flat
Source: NZ Herald, Wed 3 Sept, 2008
"Police have launched a homicide investigation after a woman was found dead and a man injured at a central Auckland apartment building yesterday.

Police were called to the apartment in Winchester St by ambulance services shortly before 4pm.

A man in his 20s who called police to the apartments is expected to remain under police guard at the hospital for several days, as he is treated for a serious injury to his hand."

Gang role in Bashing Probed
Source: NZ Herald, Wed 3 Sept, 2008
Police are investigating whether youth gangs were involved in a brutal attack which left a South Auckland teenager in a critical condition.

"Tuatu Cecil, 19, is in Middlemore Hospital with head injuries after he was attacked by a group in Papakura about 2am on Sunday.

Police found him unconscious after responding to reports of a group of people fighting near netball courts on Smiths Ave.

Detective Inspector Mark Gutry said police had been busy interviewing people in the area where the attack happened. He said Mr Cecil had been attacked after a fight or altercation between two groups of people."

Police Hunt Sydenham Sex Attacker
Source: Press.co.nz wed. 3 Sept, 2008
"Christchurch police are seeking information from the public after a 15-year-old girl was sexually assaulted at 6.30 last night.

The girl was walking along Selwyn Street in Sydenham when she was attacked from behind and dragged onto the grounds of Christchurch South Intermediate School.

The offender is described as a male, possibly wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and it is believed he left the school grounds via the Selwyn Street exit.

Police would like to hear from a man who was seen walking a white labrador in the area at the time."


Girl Told Accused About Sex Abuse
Source: Dominion Post Wed. 3 Sept, 2008
"A 10-year-old girl sexually abused by a paedophile - who was killed in a vigilante attack to avenge the abuse - feared he would hurt someone else if she did not speak up.

Glen Stinson, a paedophile with convictions dating to the 1960s and on bail for fresh sex charges against young girls, was killed on July 31 last year. It is alleged that he was punched and kicked to death after he was found touching the girl at a party. His body was dumped on the country driveway of a poultry farm in Foxton.

Aubrey Harrison, 27, and a woman who has name suppression, 32, have been jointly charged with his murder. They deny the charge. Bruce Tamatea has pleaded guilty."


Ambulance officer guilty of indecent assaults on patients
Source: NZherald Wed. 3 September, 2008
"A 35-year-old former ambulance driver has been found guilty of indecently assaulting patients in the back of an ambulance in Auckland in 1999 and 2000.

A jury at the Auckland District Court found the man guilty of six counts of indecent assault, four of which were on a 16-year-old schoolgirl who had been injured in a car crash.

He was acquitted of sexual violation and four other indecent assault charges.

The man has interim name suppression."


Xue Strangled Wife With Tie
Source: NZHerald Wed. 3 September, 2008
"Nai Yin Xue, who abandoned his daughter in a Melbourne railway station, used a yellow tie to strangle his wife before dumping her body in the boot of his car, a court was told today.

At a depositions hearing in Auckland District Court, crown prosecutor Brian Dickey presented evidence in the case against Xue who is charged with murdering his wife An An Liu last September.

The depositions hearing has been set down for two days, before two justices of the peace."

"Our Police Don't Carry Guns"

Rise in Public Support for Police to Carry Guns
Source: NZHerald Thurs 24 July 2008
"New Zealanders have changed their minds about an unarmed police force. More than half of those in a new survey want the police to carry firearms.

Just five years ago a majority were still opposed to the idea. Only 33 per cent supported it. Now 53 per cent would approve.

The survey of 500 people by Research New Zealand has also revealed that 44 per cent of the public are more concerned about their personal safety than they were last year.

People were asked: "How much do you approve or disapprove of the Police carrying guns?"

Police Association president Greg O'Connor said the findings reflected a nation worried by a steady increase in serious violent crimes, mostly related to methamphetamine.

"It's a clear reflection of the disturbed public feeling about the amount of violence out there," he said.
........

A 2003 survey of (police)association members showed that 64 per cent did not want, or were opposed to, the general arming of police, he said.

By 2005, that figure had risen to 69 per cent."

TBC......