NZ mum and son in 'good spirits' since release
Sarah Shaw and son Isaac were detained at the Canadian border more than three weeks ago because she mistakenly tried to leave and re-enter the US without both parts of her visa approved.
While she was legally able to work in the US and was employed by the state of Washington, the paperwork she needed to travel was pending - something she did not realise at the time.
She had dropped her two older children off in Vancouver, Canada to catch a direct flight home to New Zealand.
Isaac had all the correct paper work, but was taken with Shaw to the Dilley Immigration Centre in Texas.
In the weeks following, Shaw's case got global media attention and the pair were released over the weekend.
Shaw's lawyer Minda Thorward told RNZ's Checkpoint programme today that mum and son seemed to be "doing well" since their release and sent her a photograph of the pair together in which they seemed to be "in good spirits".
"I talked to Sarah a little bit, but I think she was trying to spend the weekend recovering and recuperating and kind of just laying low, but I'll be talking to her again soon."
Being detained was a traumatic experience generally speaking, Thorward said.
"It's gonna have some traumatic impact, [that's] especially true for children... in a place like Dilly there's nothing to do... you have limited access to your lawyer, it's hard to talk to family, sort of isolating, a very difficult experience.
"I hope it won't have any lingering effects, but you never know with kids... just depends on the specific child, but I hope not."
It was unlikely there would be any legal repercussions for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Thorward said.
"Unfortunately there's such a broad discretion in terms of what ICE and border control can do at the border. We can't really sue or anything like that, I mean we could sue to get them out of detention..."
She hoped Shaw would not be targeted further by ICE.
"Because of the continued media attention and broad community support... I'm really hopeful for a positive outcome for her case, but there's so much uncertainty in immigration law right now we just can't predict what's going to happen.
"But, I think the fact so many journalists are interested in this case is a really good thing, and I think we should not turn our backs, and we need to continue to shine a light on these abuses of discretion.
"I think continuing to allow for the public to see what's happening is what really needs to happen."
In terms of why Shaw's case had garnered so much attention from the media and wider public, Thorward said she believed part of it was down to the fact she was a "young, pretty, white, single mum".
"I think because she just really was someone who had really tried to do everything right, had checked all the right boxes as far as she knew, I'm not exactly sure but that's my theory."
International pressure was what saw Isaac and Shaw released, Thorward believed.
"All of the media attention, the New Zealand consulate being involved, it's a very high-profile case and ICE was very under the microscope here and they just caved to that pressure."
Thorward said Donald Trump's administration wanted to dramatically expand detention and it was likely those who would feel the worst of it were people of colour and marginalised communities.
"I think the people who will be targeted are people of colour and other marginalised communities... they will be a lot more vulnerable to abuse.
"I think it's going to be a really dangerous time in the US."
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RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
'Final act of violence': Mum killed by partner in suspected murder-suicide
Maxine Puhi died in August 2024. It's suspected she was murdered by her partner who then died by suspected suicide. Photo: Supplied One year after Maxine Puhi was found dead, RNZ can reveal it's suspected she was murdered by her partner who then died by suspected suicide while their two children were inside their Tūrangi home. Her family have spoken of the mother's years of living in fear, unable to leave an abusive relationship and their message to other women. National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood reports. Warning: This story contains content some may find disturbing. In the eyes of her family, Maxine Puhi was "blooming". Life hadn't been easy for the 28-year-old, but she was determined to provide the best future she could for her two children. She kicked off 2024 by getting her driver's licence and, by April, she started her own cleaning business. "We were so proud of her," her brother Dean Puhi says. "She was finding herself and for the first time in a long time you could see her joy returning." Then, in August last year, the unthinkable happened. Maxine was found dead inside her Tūrangi home - as was her partner. It can now be revealed the deaths are being treated as a suspected murder-suicide. A non-publication order prevents RNZ from making public the name of Maxine's partner. Speaking for the first time, Maxine's brother says her partner isolated, controlled and abused her. "In the final act of violence he took her life." Maxine Puhi was a mother-of-two. Photo: Supplied Maxine Puhi showed her "strength and resilience" from a young age, Dean says. She grew up apart from her two brothers and lived with her mother, who suffered from mental illness. Eventually, she had to live with her aunty and uncle. Maxine was proud of her Māori heritage, and was fluent in te reo before she learned English. "Maxine was the kind of person who lit up every room with her smile," Dean says. "[She] carried a childlike innocence, open-hearted, trusting and full of hope." When she was 19 she met her partner, then in his mid-30s. The couple had two children together. Dean says Maxine worked "extremely hard" for her family. "She poured every ounce of herself into building a better life for her two young children. She worked hard, dreamed big and never stopped trying to grow." The couple's relationship was marred by years of "isolation, control and abuse", Dean says. "He slowly started revealing his true nature over time. "He cut her off from her whānau, limiting visits and phone calls. As the years went by the calls got less. He would call us when he got drunk and abuse us. It became the norm. Maxine hid a lot from us out of fear and embarrassment, but we knew what was going on to some degree." RNZ has obtained court documents in relation to an incident in 2018 involving Maxine and her partner. At the time the couple had been together five years and Maxine was the only person with a full-time job earning wages. The documents say the couple got into a "heated argument" in the master bedroom. This progressed into the kitchen where, during a scuffle, Maxine hit her head on the kitchen bench counter, causing an injury to the side of her head. She then jumped out the window and ran to a neighbour's house who called healthline, who then called police. When spoken to by police, he admitted they got into an argument and said he was tired as he had just finished community work that day and did not want to break up with Maxine. He admitted it was his fault. Maxine Puhi lit up every room with her smile, her brother says. Photo: Supplied Dean spoke to his sister in June, 2024. She'd just looked after her other brother's newborn for the night and was telling him how much she'd enjoyed having him stay and introducing the baby to her own children. It was the last time the pair would talk. Two months later, Dean received a call to say his sister was dead. Instantly, he suspected her partner was responsible. "We knew it was him," he says. "He took her life violently, so brutally that her casket couldn't be open … Maxine never had a chance." According to court documents, on the evening of 14 August last year, police received a call to say Maxine was being beaten up by her partner. Police were told Maxine's partner had video-called his mother asking her to pick up the couple's children. He reportedly said he had done something bad and appeared to have facial injuries. Maxine could be heard screaming in the background. The partner later called 111 and said there had been a double homicide and asked police to come to his home before giving the phone to his son and telling him to go to his room and close the door. Police arrived at the couple's home just after 10pm and found the couple dead. Dean vividly recalls his nephew telling him: "I couldn't save mum." "Her children carry that trauma with them, something no child should have to bear. "We felt the grief hit heavy and dark, the rage, guilt was endless, we just felt so powerless. I don't think this kind of pain will leave us." Maxine Puhi had started her own cleaning business months before her death. Photo: Supplied Shortly after Maxine's death, Dean and his wife Tenniel and other relatives returned to her home to collect some of her belongings. While they were there, they discovered a sheet of paper with all of her partner's criminal convictions, including sexual offending. Dean says the family knew he had been in trouble with the law before, including aggravated burglary and assault, but were not aware of any other offending. "We were extremely appalled," he says. RNZ obtained several parole reports for Maxine's partner, who was jailed for five years and three months in 2008 for sexual connection with a 14-year-old girl, assault with intent to rob and burglary. A psychological report before his release deemed he remained at "high risk of further sexual offending". He confirmed to the Parole Board he had no difficulties with the eight special conditions of release set out in the parole assessment report. Upon his release he was to remain subject to standard parole conditions for six months, including the special conditions. Dean believes his sister didn't leave her partner out of fear and also because of their two children. "She just didn't know how to leave, she felt trapped." Maxine's partner's mother declined to comment when approached by RNZ. In June, a coroner's court spokesperson confirmed to RNZ the coroner would be treating the case as a suspected murder-suicide. The coroner then informed both families of their rights when it came to applying for non-publication orders. Neither family had applied for one in the 10 months prior. The family of Maxine's partner then submitted an application to prevent the media from publishing his name and Maxine's. Maxine's family opposed the application. Tenniel and Dean wrote to the coroner and said suppressing Maxine's name "silences her voice and minimises what had been done to her". "The Puhi whānau choose truth and transparency over silence and suppression." They said publishing what happened prevented "harmful and false narratives". RNZ also opposed the orders prohibiting the publishing of Maxine and her partner's names. Maxine Puhi's family hope telling her story will help others reach out for help. Photo: Supplied In a decision, released to RNZ on Friday, Coroner Donna Llewell said it would be "futile" to order a non-publication of Maxine's name given it had been published previously. "I also acknowledge the strong submissions from the Puhi whānau that they want her story and name in the public arena." However, she granted a non-publication order in respect of her partner's name. The order is interim, and would continue until the conclusion of her inquiry which would be between 18-24 months. Tenniel says it's "frustrating" that Maxine's partner's name cannot be published for now. "We know her story isn't his. It's hers and nothing can change the truth. Maxine's whānau will never erase who Maxine was. She will always be remembered. Hopefully telling her story can help others to reach out for help even if it's hard it can save your life." The whānau have spent a lot of time the last year examining Maxine and her partner's relationship, searching for answers, Tenniel says. "Could I have done more, checked in on her more, picked up on the red flags more. All you want is to protect those you love and, in our case, we were powerless to what was going on." She said he hit Maxine on several occasions. "We think he felt like he was losing his control over her. She was flourishing, started her own business, got her driver's license, doing more for herself. Growing her new business. He brought nothing to the table. She was financially supporting the household. All this would have affected his ego. We believe he was a narcissist that had to have the last say." She recalls seeing her husband and other whānau after they saw Maxine in her casket. "They were motionless, some needed air, nobody had words. I just remember being held tight by my husband. All he said in my ear was 'it's bad don't go in'. "I can't imagine what she went through, the pain, the fear, the disbelief that somebody she loved could be doing this to her. She would have been thinking of her children, if they would be safe. It chokes us up to think of her pain and her last moments were in fear fighting for her life." Maxine Puhi's brother says he struggles to accept his sister's death one year on. Photo: Supplied She believes there are a lot of women "suffering in silence". "If women experience any form of abuse the first time, believe what you see. Really see that man for who he is and ultimately know that you can't change him and that's OK, it's not your job to. "Know your worth, have a plan and leave before the manipulation sets in and you're repeating the cycle all over again." The family remained in "absolute devastation," Dean says. "We struggle every day to accept it. "We are so furious at [him] and so angry he stole her youth and now in his final act he took her life. He is an absolute coward. "Maxine gave him two beautiful kids, stood by him and protected him and financially provided for the household." Maxine was a "beautiful, trusting soul", he says. "She was a mother, a sister, niece, a cousin and friend. She didn't deserve her life to be cut short." Following Maxine's death, Tenniel wrote a tribute to her sister-in-law. It ended with a clear message. "Maxine deserved so much more: more years, more love, more laughter. Her children deserved their mum. We will never stop missing her. Her light was stolen too soon, but we will keep it alive by telling her story and speaking the truth. We Love you, Maxine. You will never be forgotten." Sexual violence Family violence Mental health If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
13 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
NZ mum and son in 'good spirits' since release
A New Zealand woman detained in a United States immigration facility for weeks with her six-year-old son is recovering at her Washington home after being released, her lawyer says. Sarah Shaw and son Isaac were detained at the Canadian border more than three weeks ago because she mistakenly tried to leave and re-enter the US without both parts of her visa approved. While she was legally able to work in the US and was employed by the state of Washington, the paperwork she needed to travel was pending - something she did not realise at the time. She had dropped her two older children off in Vancouver, Canada to catch a direct flight home to New Zealand. Isaac had all the correct paper work, but was taken with Shaw to the Dilley Immigration Centre in Texas. In the weeks following, Shaw's case got global media attention and the pair were released over the weekend. Shaw's lawyer Minda Thorward told RNZ's Checkpoint programme today that mum and son seemed to be "doing well" since their release and sent her a photograph of the pair together in which they seemed to be "in good spirits". "I talked to Sarah a little bit, but I think she was trying to spend the weekend recovering and recuperating and kind of just laying low, but I'll be talking to her again soon." Being detained was a traumatic experience generally speaking, Thorward said. "It's gonna have some traumatic impact, [that's] especially true for children... in a place like Dilly there's nothing to do... you have limited access to your lawyer, it's hard to talk to family, sort of isolating, a very difficult experience. "I hope it won't have any lingering effects, but you never know with kids... just depends on the specific child, but I hope not." It was unlikely there would be any legal repercussions for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Thorward said. "Unfortunately there's such a broad discretion in terms of what ICE and border control can do at the border. We can't really sue or anything like that, I mean we could sue to get them out of detention..." She hoped Shaw would not be targeted further by ICE. "Because of the continued media attention and broad community support... I'm really hopeful for a positive outcome for her case, but there's so much uncertainty in immigration law right now we just can't predict what's going to happen. "But, I think the fact so many journalists are interested in this case is a really good thing, and I think we should not turn our backs, and we need to continue to shine a light on these abuses of discretion. "I think continuing to allow for the public to see what's happening is what really needs to happen." In terms of why Shaw's case had garnered so much attention from the media and wider public, Thorward said she believed part of it was down to the fact she was a "young, pretty, white, single mum". "I think because she just really was someone who had really tried to do everything right, had checked all the right boxes as far as she knew, I'm not exactly sure but that's my theory." International pressure was what saw Isaac and Shaw released, Thorward believed. "All of the media attention, the New Zealand consulate being involved, it's a very high-profile case and ICE was very under the microscope here and they just caved to that pressure." Thorward said Donald Trump's administration wanted to dramatically expand detention and it was likely those who would feel the worst of it were people of colour and marginalised communities. "I think the people who will be targeted are people of colour and other marginalised communities... they will be a lot more vulnerable to abuse. "I think it's going to be a really dangerous time in the US."
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZ woman Sarah Shaw and young son in 'good spirits' since release from US immigration facility
Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for weeks. Photo: GoFundMe The New Zealand woman detained in a US immigration facility for weeks with her six-year-old son is recovering at her Washington home after being released, says her lawyer. Sarah Shaw and her son Isaac were detained at the Canadian border more than three weeks ago because she mistakenly tried to leave and re-enter the US without both parts of her visa approved. While she was legally able to work in the US and was employed by the state of Washington, the paperwork she needed to travel was pending - something she did not realise at the time. She had dropped her two older children off in Canada to catch a direct flight home to New Zealand. Isaac had all the correct paper work, but was taken with Shaw to the Dilley Immigration Centre in Texas. In the weeks following, Shaw's case got global media attention and the pair were released over the weekend. Shaw's lawyer Minda Thorward told Checkpoint , mum and son seemed to be "doing well" since their release and sent her a photograph of the pair together in which they seemed to be "in good spirits". "I talked to Sarah a little bit, but I think she was trying to spend the weekend recovering and recuperating and kind of just laying low, but I'll be talking to her again soon." Being detained was a traumatic experience generally speaking, Thorward said. An overhead view of Dilley Immigration Processing Centre in Dilley, Texas. Photo: Screenshot / Google Maps "It's gonna have some traumatic impact, [that's] especially true for children... in a place like Dilly there's nothing to do... you have limited access to your lawyer, it's hard to talk to family, sort of isolating, a very difficult experience. "I hope it won't have any lingering effects, but you never know with kids... just depends on the specific child, but I hope not." It was unlikely there would be any legal repercussions for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Thorward said. "Unfortunately there's such a broad discretion in terms of what ICE and border control can do at the border. We can't really sue or anything like that, I mean we could sue to get them out of detention..." Thorward hoped Shaw would not be targeted further by ICE. "Because of the continued media attention and broad community support... I'm really hopeful for a positive outcome for her case, but there's so much uncertainty in immigration law right now we just can't predict what's going to happen. "But, I think the fact so many journalists are interested in this case is a really good thing, and I think we should not turn our backs, and we need to continue to shine a light on these abuses of discretion. "I think continuing to allow for the public to see what's happening is what really needs to happen." In terms of why Shaw's case had garnered so much attention from the media and wider public, Thorward said she believed part of it was down to the fact she was a "young, pretty, white, single mum". "I think because she just really was someone who had really tried to do everything right, had checked all the right boxes as far as she knew, I'm not exactly sure but that's my theory." International pressure was what saw Isaac and Shaw released, Thorward believed. "All of the media attention, the New Zealand consulate being involved, it's a very high-profile case and ICE was very under the microscope here and they just caved to that pressure." Thorward said Donald Trump's administration wanted to dramatically expand detention and it was likely those who would feel the worst of it were people of colour and marginalised communities. "I think the people who will be targeted are people of colour and other marginalised communities... they will be a lot more vulnerable to abuse. "I think it's going to be a really dangerous time in the US." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
