Herald withdraws ‘scoop' finalist from awards after Tipene Funerals complaint
New Zealand Herald reporter Raphael Franks had been one of three finalists for the award to be announced at Friday night's Voyager Media Awards, but his name and entry covering the 'Tipene Funerals Scandal' is now deleted from the event's website.
At the same time, 20 stories on the issue on the nzherald.co.nz website have correction paragraphs added at the top, setting out changes made to the stories.
The withdrawal of a journalism finalist from the media awards is rare, if unprecedented, particularly when linked to legal issues. The lateness of the withdrawal could indicate NZME recognised ongoing sensitivities if it had actually won the top prize.
While Franks' personal entry has been withdrawn, his work on such a legally challenging story as the inquiry into a Tipene Funerals staff member's behaviour would have been guided, edited and vetted at higher levels of the Herald newsroom.
It is likely the scoop of the year entry was submitted for judges' consideration before the belated legal complaint from the funeral home had been resolved.
The Herald's corrections to the stories published between August 2024 and April this year relate to earlier wording about the actions of funeral home staffer Fiona Bakulich, convicted in April of interfering with human remains and obtaining by deception.
She was sentenced to two years and seven months in jail.
It's understood the legal complaint over the Herald coverage was from the firm, Tipene Funerals, rather than Bakulich.
The Tipene Funerals Facebook page issued a statement to its followers after the sentencing saying, in part:
'We are grateful to our legal counsel who, after reviewing the article published by NZ Herald on 11 April 2025, formally responded to correct several serious inaccuracies. We share this clarification not to place blame, but to ensure the truth is known, especially for the grieving whānau whose stories are being spoken about.'
It continues: 'The repeated use of the phrase 'wrapped in plastic instead of coffins' is completely false and deeply upsetting. It wrongly suggests that multiple tūpāpaku were not placed in coffins at all, which is simply not true. The judge has since instructed media to stop using this language, recognising the unnecessary pain it has caused. In truth, one tūpāpaku was in a body bag, which was inside in a wooden coffin, (a standard and appropriate practice in our profession), but was missing the metal liner coffin. This detail matters, especially for grieving families.
'The matter first came to light after the storm, when both Waikumete Cemetery staff and the immediate whānau of a loved one identified an issue with one interment. The concern was that a metal liner, required for mausoleum burial, was missing. Tipene Funerals responded immediately with deep regret, took full responsibility, and ensured that a metal liner was provided as soon as the issue came to our attention.
'Fiona Bakulich faced 13 charges. Of these, 12 related to financial dishonesty involving unauthorised cash payments and misleading whānau over costs. Only one charge involved the missing metal liner coffin, and another charge was withdrawn. These are important distinctions that were not clearly reflected in the NZ Herald article.
'It was Tipene Funerals who reported this matter to police. While the media may have played a role in drawing further attention. It is not accurate to suggest the offending was uncovered by NZ Herald.'
Herald editor in chief Murray Kirkness said on Wednesday night: 'The Herald has made amendments to articles clarifying matters relating to Fiona Bakulich's offending and sentencing. We contacted the NPA [organisers of the awards] to remove a Voyager Media Awards entry.
'There were inaccuracies in our reporting and we have written to Tipene Funerals to apologise. Importantly, following the Herald's investigation and extensive coverage on this matter, a criminal investigation led to charges being laid.'
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'The forces involved in this collision resulted in Mr Penn losing control of his Superstock 59P which was diverted into the concrete wall on the outside of the racetrack. 'The front right, then left rear, of the Superstock 59P crashed into the wall. At least one of these three impacts was responsible for Mr Penn's fatal head injury.' Wrigley wrote how Superstock Team racing came with 'inherent risk of serious injury even when appropriate safety precautions are followed.' The New Zealand SuperStock Teams Championship is one of the biggest events on the Kiwi speedway calendar. Photo / Sportsweb Photography SNZ general manager Aaron Kirby wrote in a report to the inquiry that Penn's death was an 'unfortunate accident' that had followed typical 'aggressive' Superstock teams racing. 'Mr Kirby advised that while Speedway NZ strives to achieve the highest level of safety possible, it is not possible to eliminate all risk,' Wrigley wrote. 'Speedway NZ's position is that all reasonable and practicable precautions were taken on the day of the crash to ensure Mr Penn was compliant with Speedway NZ rules.' WorkSafe had earlier looked at Penn's death but deemed it would not investigate, saying: 'Speedway / car racing has a high risk [of] accident or injury. Initial enquiries found [that Speedway NZ] had adequate controls at the time of the accident.' Stephen Penn's family In a written statement to the Herald, Penn's family said they were 'happy with the coroner's findings that they have ruled it a tragic freak accident'. The family hoped the findings would 'end any speculation or unfounded assumptions' regarding the accident. Penn had a 'huge passion' for speedway. 'Growing up around racing meant the love for motorsport was in his blood,' the family said. The speedway community rallied around the Penn family after Stephen Penn (inset) died in a racing crash. 'Within speedway, he aspired to be part of a team where he could do his part in assisting them to the finish line.' His loved ones stressed he never compromised on safety. 'Knowing that speedway was a dangerous sport, safety was the absolute top priority when Stephen raced,' they said. 'What happened to Stephen has not impacted our love for the sport and we are happy that this also has not hindered the continuation of Teams Champs.' In a post in SNZ's June newsletter, the sport's governing body described the driver as a 'great ambassador' for speedway. Flanked by Kyla and Vanessa Penn, Kaelin Mooney holds the Stephen Penn Rookie of Teams Champs trophy named in honour of the late driver. Photo / Troy Adamson SNZ wrote that since the tragedy occurred it had 'assisted the coroner with documentation and evidence requests relating to the incident and the sport itself'. The organisation said its 'first priority' had been towards Vanessa and his two daughters. 'The family wish to have it conveyed that Stephen's death was a freak and tragic accident, a result of doing something he truly loved.' Kind-hearted Kiwis donated $96,101 to the Penn family via a Givealittle page created after the racing death. The Penn family told the Herald the support they received would never be forgotten. 'We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that supported us through this tough time,' they said. 'During this time, we saw the speedway community come together as a family and showed people that this is not just a sport but a passion. 'Lastly, thanks to everyone that keeps his legacy alive and not letting this affect their love for the sport which Stephen would have wanted.' Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 33 years of newsroom experience. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
