JustSpeak refutes Sensible Sentencing Trust link between homosexuality and crime as “baseless and damaging”

“The Sensible Sentencing Trust’s submission that marriage equality would have a detrimental effect on levels of crime in New Zealand is baseless, damaging and founded on nothing.”

“This submission demonstrates the Sensible Sentencing Trust’s willingness to make unfounded and misleading claims in an attempt to influence public thinking and legislative change. We need to take an evidence-informed, rational approach to crime in New Zealand, something which these claims suggest the Sensible Sentencing Trust is not doing.”

“The idea that any link exists between legalising same-sex marriage and crime in New Zealand beggars belief.”

“If anything, allowing same-sex couples to wed may increase stability for children growing up in the homes of same-sex couples. However, any link between marriage equality and crime rates is incredibly tenuous, and the Sensible Sentencing Trust has been misleading to suggest this link exists.”

“If it seeks to address some of the causes of crime in New Zealand, the Sensible Sentencing Trust would be far better placed addressing issues such as poverty, alcohol and drugs abuse, education, the damaging effects of our high imprisonment rates, and high unemployment.”

ENDS.

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"Unlawful, Unjustified And Unreasonable": Report Into Urewera Raids Finds Police Acted Unlawfully

Independent Police Conduct Authority Chair Judge Sir David Carruthers said today that the decision by the then Commissioner of Police to undertake the operation in Ruatoki Valley and elsewhere on 15 October 2007 was reasonable and justified.

“However, the road blocks established by Police at Ruatoki and Taneatua were unlawful, unjustified and unreasonable... Police had no legal basis for stopping and searching vehicles or photographing drivers or passengers,” he said...

The report also showed that the detention of the occupants at five properties examined by the Authority was unlawful and unreasonable. More>>