Just when you didn’t think the injustice meted out to Teina Pora couldn’t get more insulting, but the Parole Board’s decision to deny parole after he was too embarrassed to admit going to a prostitute after being in prison for 2 decades is a system acting aggressively defensive in the face of one of our worst miscarriages of justice.
The case against Pora is a sick joke, it was so shaming internally it led to new interrogation rules and the need for this to be heard in front of the Privy Council is another example of how a country with such a small pool of judicial talent can’t be trusted to act fairly when scrutinizing cases that have built reputations.
To add as a final slap in the face the denial of parole because Pora was too embarrassed to admit visiting a prostitute in light of the overwhelming evidence that he may have been innocent all this time shows just how warped by Sensible Sentencing zealotry our Parole Boards have now become.
In our juvenile delight to throw people in prison, no one has once paused to ask how many other innocent people we may have accidentally destroyed through false imprisonment.
The manner in which Pora is being treated should concern all citizens that the pendulum on law and order needs to swing hard the other way.
Anyone info on who the parole Panel are…..Christens,cathlics,or just Sons Of B*tches…
But this is typical of the NZ justice system, which I consider to be anything but “just”. It is a system designed to blame, stigmatise, punish, lock away and humiliate people for the rest of their lives, even when they are eventually found out to have been convicted wrongfully, upon unacceptable “investigation methods”, upon flawed trials and upon inadmissible evidence being used.
Here we have a person, who was institutionalised at a very young age, he was locked away with others, most of whom probably know nothing else but their own life experiences of injustices, of a life in crime and under constant persecution. They get locked away, denied a chance to learn a different life, denied a chance to prove they have also a good side, talents, human capabilities, that they can actually live a functioning, decent life like others.
So when allowed out on parole, they come out with not being prepared, with not having been allowed to learn and change, and with a mindset that is one of a despaired, suppressed and short changed person. Naturally Teina and others will want to seek human contacts, and he did so, but as he knows no other people, he tried to contact an old associate, who was just another “criminal” as he himself.
Then he was denied sexual contacts to a female person for so many years, no surprise then, he may wish to experience some natural sensations, and he goes and sees a prostitute.
Oh, how “evil”, how “criminal” again, he “cannot be trusted” they scream, we must keep him locked away.
I am sick to death of the hypocrisy of this society, and I know myself about the Independent Police Conduct Authority usually having alleged misconduct by police officers only “investigated” by police officers. So naturally, many complaints to them will never have any fall-back on any police officer, as the IPCA is not truly independent.
We have also a justice system, where New Zealand was one of the few OECD countries, that did until 2004 not even have any “clean slate” legislation. The one that was introduced then was only passed after many amendments and after stiff opposition by right wing politicians and certain lobbyists.
Still now some that once ended up in prison, whether guilty or not, will never have a clean slate, and due to that never have a real chance for a decent job.
Society also is judgmental, and the media just thrives on all these headline stories about all these alleged “crims” and “sickos”, so even though crime has apparently dropped a bit, most still think it is rampant and a huge problem, due to media bias, focusing only on the most extreme, and dramatic cases. Most have little or no interest what lies behind the many sad and horrible cases, and the so-called “Sensible Sentencing Trust” just goes on and on, to nurture the culture of suspicion, hatred and stigmatisation, so rehabilitation only works in some cases.
Yes, persons like Teina will be punished for the rest of their lives, by prejudice, by blaming, by suspicion, by being reminded 24/7 365 days a week, of where he has been, and what he was convicted for.
So the fear is justified, how will he cope, once he will be set free, given this hostile environment, that is totally unforgiving, in the minds of the vast majority?
Teina should be freed immediately and the poaka who framed him should be tried before a jury of Teina’s peers. Our ngati poaka is an organisation that is held up as being able to do no wrong. Once an organisation attains this status, it is guaranteed that the amount of wrong it does will increase by the day. Look at the Catholic Church for a great example.
The Parole Board, while acting in a cowardly and pedantic manner, are not the instigators of this travesty. The police that we have created and allowed to flourish for many years are, making us all collectively responsible.
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