WEBVTT - Tim Beveridge: Our justice system doesn't deter violence

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to a podcast from news Talk zed Be

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<v Speaker 2>It seems too often we're reading these headlines about another

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<v Speaker 2>violent crime, another murder, and it is hard to keep up.

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<v Speaker 2>But every now and again, there's a crime that happens

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<v Speaker 2>that just grabs your attention, makes you wondering if we're

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<v Speaker 2>heading in the right direction when it comes to addressing

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<v Speaker 2>violent crime in New Zealand. For me, that crime was

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<v Speaker 2>the murder or should I say, the alleged murder of

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<v Speaker 2>American entomology student Kyle Warrel. And thinking about it, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>we often hear about crimes where we think and well,

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<v Speaker 2>hopefully it's gang on gang or a drug deal gone wrong,

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<v Speaker 2>and it feels a degree removed. But that illusion of security,

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<v Speaker 2>I don't know if we have it so much with

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<v Speaker 2>the news that a sixteen year old is now being

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<v Speaker 2>charged with the aggravated robbery and murder of Kyle Warrel,

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<v Speaker 2>and I found myself increasingly of the view that our

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<v Speaker 2>justice system simply isn't delivering sentences that act as any

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<v Speaker 2>sort of deterrent. Of course, you've got to have a progress,

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<v Speaker 2>a process, should we say and we shouldn't get ahead

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<v Speaker 2>of ourselves with assuming guilt. But if someone has found accountable,

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<v Speaker 2>what real chance do you think there's going to be

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<v Speaker 2>a sentence that is any sort of deterrent in a

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<v Speaker 2>society that's becoming more brazen and more violent. Because what

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<v Speaker 2>happens is what will happen, is the focus shifts to

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<v Speaker 2>the accused until all the terrible reasons they've ended up

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<v Speaker 2>where they are, and the discounts start rolling in. We've

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<v Speaker 2>got age, remorse, the troubled upbringing, maybe even a guilty plea,

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<v Speaker 2>and well they're soap called prospects for rehabilitation. Before you

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<v Speaker 2>know it, the sentence is chipped away discount after discount,

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<v Speaker 2>and they're unholded home detention after barely a couple of

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<v Speaker 2>years inside. Meanwhile, for the victim, there's no second chance.

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<v Speaker 2>He's dead. There's no chance to make a submission to

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<v Speaker 2>the court to try and mitigate the outcome. He's dead.

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<v Speaker 2>He can't make a plea that his life was only

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<v Speaker 2>just getting underway because he's dead. And I'm sorry that

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<v Speaker 2>does sound jarring, doesn't it, But maybe it should because

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<v Speaker 2>we like to dress up tragedies and like this in

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<v Speaker 2>euphemisms and euphemism so we can soften the blow, but

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<v Speaker 2>there's no cushioningness. Kyle Warrell has died and is dead,

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<v Speaker 2>and he shouldn't be and I'm sorry, But when it

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<v Speaker 2>comes to our justice system, in my view, it's doing

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<v Speaker 2>bugger all to send any message that violent crime isn't tolerated.

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<v Speaker 2>Just ask any police officer who spent time dealing with

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<v Speaker 2>this stuff. So yes, I'm all for harder sentences, sentences

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<v Speaker 2>with consequences that send that unequivocal message around violent crime

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<v Speaker 2>because the murder victim gets no say in how things

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<v Speaker 2>play out, no play mitigation. So when it comes to

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<v Speaker 2>the perporotrada of this crime, I'm not interested in their tears.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not interested in their regrets. I'm interested in seeing

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<v Speaker 2>a sentence that actually acknowledges what's happened and maybe sends

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<v Speaker 2>a message that this stuff is not okay when someone's

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<v Speaker 2>life cut is cut so brutally and tragically.

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