John Rowe Murder Trial Starts Today

 The trial starts today of two teenage girls accused of the murder of retired school teacher John Rowe.

Mr Rowe was brutally battered to death whilst he was asleep in his Opotiki home in November of last year. Two girls - Courteney Churchwood, aged 17 and a 15 year old with name suppression were later arrested and a man was also charged with being an accessory.

We have previously mentioned Mr Rowe in other blog posts in connection with other recent crimes in the small eastern Bay of Plenty town of Opotiki, he is the second school teacher to be be battered to death in recent years. Lois Dear was sexually assaulted and murdered in her classroom at Tokoroa's Strathmore Primary School in 2006.

 23 year old Whetu Te Hiko pleaded guilty to her murder. He 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, is also in jail for sexually violating and beating his wife to death in 2001.

Six days ago 70 year old Grandmother Barbara Catherine Julian was beaten to death in her Kaitaia home in broad daylight by an intruder. A 17 year old youth is presently remanded in custody.

It has to make you wonder what is happening to the fabric of  New Zealand society when its most vulnerable citizens are beaten to death in their own homes and classrooms, places that most people should and would consider safe. What is sickening is that these crimes are being committed by young people, some of them multiple repeat offenders, it has to make one question if the methods used to address youth offending are working in New Zealand and if tougher measures are needed.

Other pensioners beaten to death or raped in their homes include:

• An elderly woman sexually and physically assaulted in her Eltham home in June. A 17 year old was later charged

• A grandmother killed "execution style" in Marton in 2005

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Enuf is Enuf. Poison Free New Zealand

 The group Poison Free New Zealand is organising protest rallies all around the country today to demand an end to 1080 Poison Drops. Further details may be found on Facebook: Poison Free New Zealand Day




More about 1080 and Brodifacoum

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Grandmother Barbara Catherine Julian Beaten To Death In Kaitaia, Northland - Updated

A 70 year old woman has been found dead in her own home. Neighbours discovered the woman at 91 Matthews Avenue, Kaitaia, Northland at around 5.30pm on 10 November.  Police have said that a man had been seen walking away from the house earlier in the day and a resident of the street had made a call after seeing a suspicious person at the property. It is not known if the call was followed up on.

The woman was later named as Barbara Catherine Julian. Later news reports stated that the 70 year old grandmother had told her niece she was thinking about leaving town because people in the street were frightening her, she said:

"Her aunt had been a gifted and enthusiastic teacher, a lively, intelligent, caring woman with a wide circle of friends - although her peace of mind had been dented in the weeks before her death.
Alone since her husband, Ted,  died five years ago, she had stayed at 91 Matthews Ave with its immaculate garden, but  had become increasingly uneasy.
"She was becoming a little frightened by the people she heard going up and down the street and she was contemplating moving to Whangarei," Ms Lunjevich said.
That would not have been a decision taken lightly."

View Larger Map

A 17 year old youth, Jameel Job,  was initially arrested on an "unrelated matter" but was subsequently charged with her murder.

See also: "It could have happened at any house"

Last Friday another elderly woman was brutally attacked at around 4pm 69 year old Keitha Brown was attacked on Cameron Road, Tauranga and robbed of $12. After spending a night in hospital with injuries that included a broken humerus bone, a swollen cheek, a black eye and a cut to her face she left and is now recovering at home with her family.


View Larger Map, St Catherine's Church, near to where the attack took place
The shocking homicide and attacks on defenseless elderly women come at a time when a survey has shown that 80% of New Zealanders are seriously worried about crime in the country but the majority of them think it doesn't happen where they live.


See also other posts tagged Crime    Murders and  Northland

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