Tim Beveridge: Our justice system doesn't deter violence

It seems like far too often we’re reading a new headline about another violent crime — another murder. And it’s hard to keep up.  But every now and again, a crime seizes your attention and makes you ask if we're heading in the right direction when it comes to addressing violent crime in New Zealand. And that case, for me, is the murder — or should I say the alleged murder — of American entomology student Kyle Whorrall. And often, I think, when we hear about violent crimes, we try to comfort ourselves with the assumption that they’re confined to the criminal underworld — gang-on-gang, drug deals gone wrong, or some other context that feels far removed. And if we can keep our distance from that world, we’re somehow safe. An illusion of security that, perhaps, helps us sleep at night.  But now with the news that a 16-year-old has been charged with the aggravated robbery and murder of Kyle Whorrall, I’ve found myself increasingly of the view that our justice system simply isn’t delivering sentences that act as any sort of deterrent to violence. Of course, there needs to be a process and we can’t get ahead of ourselves when it comes to assuming guilt. But if someone is found accountable — what real chance do you really think there is of a sentence being handed down that is any sort of deterrence in a society that is becoming more brazen and more violent.  Because what happens is that the focus shifts to the accused and to all the terrible reasons they’ve ended up where they are. And then the discounts start rolling in — for age, for remorse, for a troubled upbringing, maybe even a guilty plea, or their so-called prospects for rehabilitation.  And before you know it, the sentence is chipped away — discount after discount — and a young offender is out on home detention after barely a couple of years inside.  Meanwhile, for the victim, there’s no second chance. He’s dead.   There’s no chance to make a submission to the court, to try and mitigate the outcome of the terrible assault. Because he’s dead.   He can’t make a plea that his life was only just getting underway. Because he’s dead.   And I’m sorry — that sounds jarring, doesn’t it? But maybe it should.   Because we like to dress tragedies like this up in euphemisms to soften the blow.  But there’s no cushioning this tragedy - because, well, Kyle Whorrall is dead — and he shouldn’t be. And I’m sorry, but when it comes to our justice system, in my view it’s doing bugger all to send any message that violent crime will not be tolerated.  Ask any police officer who’s spent time dealing with this stuff — they’ll tell you how callous the criminal community has become, and how little value is placed on other people’s lives and safety.  So yes — I’m all for harder sentences. Sentences with consequences that send an unequivocal message around violent crime.  Because the murder victim gets no say in how things play out. No plea. No mitigation. No second shot at life.  And when it comes to the perpetrator of this crime — I’m not interested in their tears. I’m not interested in their regrets. I’m not interested in their tragic past or the excuses that will be rolled out.  They deserve no more benefit of the doubt than their victim received when his life was cut so brutally, and so tragically, short.

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