Did Johansson Get A Second Chance?

Monday 24 Nov 2003
Stephen Franks
Press Releases -- Crime & Justice

Media reports suggest that William Johansson, convicted now for his second killing in eight years, got a second chance and blew it - was it his second or his tenth chance, ACT New Zealand Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks asked today.

"We should know the truth. It may have been his seventh, eighth, or twentieth chance for all we know. He may be another experienced graduate of our hopeless youth justice system," Mr Franks said.

"Records of even significant youth offending are suppressed. The system pretends that many offences before age 17 didn't happen. And the Government is about to pass the Clean Slate Bill before Christmas to tell even more people to lie about their earlier offending.

"Before 18 year-old Johansson got a two- year suspended sentence, for helping his mates kick Benji Halaholo to death, he may have had many `second' chances. We won't be allowed to know.

"There is no evidence that name suppression and privacy for young criminals achieves anything to rehabilitate them, or to protect the community. Secrecy under the Children & Young Persons and Their Families Act should end now," Mr Franks said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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