Today in New Zealand we had two people come up for sentencing in the high courts of this land. One was a woman who beat her young child with a fan belt and a piece of electrical cord, for so long that she killed him because he wouldn't eat his dinner. The other was sentenced as the result of being a man who, with others, robbed an armored car van. She received a 6 year prizon sentence. He received 11 years.
Does this make sense to anyone? It certainly doesn't make sense to me.
You can't blame the judges who passed sentence either. Why? Because they are bound by the maximum sentence handed down by the government for any crime on the statute books. I understand that both judges passed the maximun sentence in both of these cases.
Now don't get me wrong. I don't think the person who took part in the armed robbery should have recieved a lighter sentence, but I do think that the mother who so severely beat her child that she killed him should have recieved a longer sentence. And why? The law is, as I understand it, in place to act as a deterrent to those who would break that law in future.
And what do these two sentences say to the people of New Zealand, and the world community at large? Simply that it's much less onerous to kill your own child than it is to steal money from someone. Does that make sense? Is that what the government representatives are saying to us?
New Zealand has always prided itself as "a great place to bring up kids". How can any New Zealander hold up their head with that statement now? Isn't it time we did something about these antiquated limits on sentencing and make the punishment fit the crime? In these two cases it certainly does not.
I suggest that it is time for Parliament to do something positive about this. It is time to do away with party politics and get on with the job of ensuring that the general populace is protected, old and young alike, from the predators in our society.
Come on Parliament. You have that responsibility and power to do this above all others. If you truly value your position in this country, do something about this injustice to our children. And don't forget, at the next election, what you do about righting the wrongs in our society will be remembered by the voters. What you don't do will be remembered also.
Just my musings...
Mac
