“It seems despite all the recent tragedies concerning children, self-inflicted and otherwise, a Children’s Commissioner, Children and Young Persons Service and a host of other well-intentioned organisations that we are fighting a losing battle,” Graham Capill, Leader of Christian Heritage, said.

“Symptomatic of this is the sentence meted out at the Pukekohe District Court yesterday,” he says.

A 42 year old High School bus driver was convicted for selling cannabis to an undercover police officer, wearing a high school uniform.

The police had been tipped off that High School students were visiting the accused’s home – opposite the school gates – during their lunch hour. The undercover officer was able to buy a “tinnie” for $20.00. It was reported that students visited the house on a regular basis and bought cannabis. The accused was found guilty and sentenced to 60 hours community service.

Mr Capill continued, “Such a sentence is grossly inadequate and fails to protect children by sending all the wrong messages.”

“The correlation between marijuana and schizophrenia, the proven pathway to harder drugs, the increased risk of cancer, the diminution of motivation, appear to be inconsequential to our current Government and hence to those applying the law.”

“Extending the powers of the Commissioner of Children in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is farcical,” Mr Capill said. “Providing a further $2.8 million in the Budget for such things as raising awareness and understanding of children’s rights, giving children more say in decision-making, is misdirecting scarce resources. Christian Heritage pleads for a return to basic common sense principles in Government and judiciary.”

Ends

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