Parents who condone truancy face fines
children law 16 minutes ago
Parents who refuse to send their children to school are more likely to be prosecuted as the government cracks down on truancy. Association Education Minister David Seymour spoke to reporter Lauren Crimp.
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RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Nicolas Shaun Miller's ‘cry for help' exposes serious addiction to child exploitation material
First published on Tracy Neal , Open Justice multimedia journalist Nicolas Miller told the police after he tried to take his own life that he had a 'serious addiction to child porn' and was afraid his offending would worsen. He has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison. Photo: Open Justice via New Zealand Herald / Tracy Neal Warning: This story covers topics including online child exploitation and attempted suicide that may be upsetting to some readers. A man's attempt at taking his own life opened a Pandora's Box on his addiction to child exploitation material. Now a judge has deemed the man's quick confession to the police was a cry for help but said it didn't excuse his actions. Nicolas Shaun Miller told the police after they found thousands of items of objectionable material on his computer that he had a "serious addiction" to what he called "child porn". The confession to the police came about in "unusual circumstances", Judge Jo Rielly recently said in the Nelson District Court. Crown prosecutor Daniel Baxter said it was a sad situation for all involved. Defence lawyer Mark Dollimore said in some ways, Miller's addiction had almost killed him. The 31-year-old had been living alone in a caravan in Murchison, in the southern Tasman District, in what Dollimore described as "squalid conditions". Miller said he led a "boring, monotonous life", and, when he was not working, he played video games and drank to excess. He no longer had much contact with family, he was alone and isolated, Dollimore said. He said that on 17 November last year when Miller had tried to end his life he had consumed cannabis, watched pornography and the reality of his situation and his addiction had overwhelmed him. Miller was taken to Nelson Hospital and treated for serious self-inflicted wounds. "He came very close to killing himself. It was touch and go for him in ICU," Dollimore said. Miller later said he had tried to take his own life because he knew he had a serious problem that he struggled with, but didn't know where to reach out for help. Miller believed his addiction might lead to contact offending with a child which he feared he might not be able to resist, and that he favoured a "particular type" which he himself found abhorrent, Judge Rielly said. She said Miller's effort to speak up was a cry for help, but it didn't excuse the illegal behaviour. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison on seven charges, one of which was a representative charge, of knowingly possessing an objectionable publication. It wasn't until after mental health services had assessed Miller in November that a police investigation followed and he was charged. Miller had told a mental health staff member that he had been viewing "child porn" for the previous two or three years, and the police were notified. After a search of his address, several electronic items, including a computer tower, were seized. Forensic examination of the tower suggested it contained objectionable material on about 16,000 files. A subsequent search confirmed 14,146 items as objectionable. Miller had also accessed websites that had bestiality content on them. The representative charge covered an "extensive number" of images found on a hard drive, some of which were classified as the most serious of their type. Miller told the police that he viewed the images daily because they "excited him" but he knew he had a major problem. Miller also told the police he understood that viewing child exploitation material was not a victimless crime, and that children endured "horrific atrocities" in the making of such material, fuelled by viewers such as himself. Dollimore said Miller had "fessed up" early and had co-operated with the police in every way he could, and that he was desperate for help. Baxter said it was Miller's honesty that led to his offending coming to light, and the Crown was not opposed to credit being given for Miller's request for help. Judge Rielly said that from everything Miller had said, not only was he feeling extremely low about himself, but he was also very concerned about where his addiction might lead him. Judge Rielly said Miller also knew his behaviour could change for the worse and he did not want that to happen. In setting a prison starting point at five years, Judge Rielly said although Miller's relationship with his family was now strained, he had not sought to blame anything about his background for his offending. He was given credit for his early guilty plea and for demonstrating his remorse, his shame, his insight into the offending and his readiness to rehabilitate, to arrive at a sentence of three-and-a-half years on the representative charge and two-and-a-half years on the remaining charges, to be served concurrently. Miller was automatically registered as a child sex offender. If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. -This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
A Regal Sonic Tonic
This audio is not downloadable due to copyright restrictions. King Charles and Queen Camilla. Photo: Chris Jackson / POOL / AFP RNZ Concert's Bryan Crump marks Kings Birthday with a sonic montage of music and soundbites from the RNZ website and our archive Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision, all linked in some way to King Charles III, or to royalty in general. If you'd like to know more about each of the soundbites from the archives, you'll find a link to that item's page on the Ngā Taonga website, along with its reference number. These are the musical tracks and the soundbites in the order in which they play in the recording above. Bell ringers celebrate the birth of Prince Charles on November 14th 1948: Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision 147707 Students of Lawrence District High School, Otago, shout "three cheers" for the new prince. Mobile broadcasting Unit, November 1948: Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision 5826 Music: Handel; Zadok the Priest. Choir of Kings College Cambridge, Academy of Ancient Music, conducted by Stephen Cleobury. Savage, Co-founder and chair of "New Zealand Republic" speaking on RNZ National Queens Birthday Monday, June 2017 (RNZ Website) Not everyone's a fan. An (anti) royal protest. Photo: SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP Music: Matlock/Lydon/Cook/Jones; God save the Queen (Sung by Nouvelle Vague) Morning Report item on activist Dun Mihaka objecting to a photograph of his bare backside protest against Prince Charles in 1983, being used in a British car ad. July 1988: Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision 56997 Prince Charles is introduced to a Youth Rally in Auckland during a visit in 1970: Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision 24118 Music: Age Pryor; King of You All (sung by Age Pryor and Tessa Rain Music: Jarryl Wirth; Charlie's Getting Married at Last (sung by Men of Harlich) Morning Report item on Kiri Te Kanawa preparing to sing at the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, 1981: Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision 24540 King Charles; maybe he'll be listening in? Photo: Apple Music Music: Handel; Let the Bright Seraphim. Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano) Crispian Steel Perkins (trumpet) English Chamber Orchestra. Footage of the Prince and Princess of Wales visit to Waitangi, including Sir Kingi Ihaka's waiata "Nau mai! Piki mai!. A joint live broadcast by Radio Northland and the Maori broadcasting team, Te Reo o Aotearoa: Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision 47577 Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Diana, Princess of Wales, visit the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, 29th April 1983. (Photo by John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images) Photo: Getty Images Australian broadcaster and writer Clive James remembers Princess Diana during an interview with Kim Hill, May 2015 (RNZ Website) Music: Tavener; Song for Athene. Choir of Kings College Cambridge. Prince Charles speaks at a state banquet given in his honour in Wellington in 1981: Ngā Taonga Sound and Vision 17443 Music: Hank Snow; I'm Moving On (sung by Elvis Presley). RNZ News reader Marama Te Pole, reads bulletin on death on Queen Elizabeth II, from RNZ Checkpoint, September 8th 2022 (RNZ Website). Music: Billy Joel; And so it Goes (sung by the Kings Singers) Morning Report item by Taranaki reporter Robin Martin on royal fan Barbara Larsen, getting ready for the coronation of King Charles III. May 2023 (RNZ Website) Music: Walton; Crown Imperial March, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton. Music: Joel Little/Ella Yelich-O'Connor; Royals (sung by Lorde). Even a King deserves a hug. Charles is embraced by members of the Black Ferns rugby team. Photo: AFP
RNZ News
4 hours ago
- RNZ News
Hundreds hīkoi to honour three-year-old killed in Northland
Kaikohe's Piriwiritua Rātana brass band led the hīkoi, giving it an almost festive atmosphere. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf More than 400 people have marched down Kaikohe's main street to honour the tragically short life of Catalya Remana Tangimetua-Pepene . The 3-year-old died at her home last month, and a 45-year-old man has since been charged with her murder. Her death has rocked the small Northland town, which on Monday sought to remember her with a hīkoi starting at the top of Broadway, near the housing complex where she lived. Community leaders front the hīkoi as it makes its way down Broadway. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf The hīkoi was led by Kaikohe's Piriwiritua Rātana Brass Band and dominated by families with young children carrying balloons and blowing bubbles. Many of those taking part wore vivid colours in memory of a girl whose smile was so bright neighbours said it "lit up the whole world". Tohu Cassidy, of Ōmanaia, wore the brightest things he could find. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf By the time the hīkoi reached the green, at the former Kaikohe Hotel site halfway down Broadway, the crowd had swelled to about 500. There community leaders exchanged speeches and children played on bouncy castles or took part in activities such as colouring contests. Many marchers turned up with balloons or brightly coloured clothing. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf It was an emotional day for many, including Sharon Harris, who said she was one of Catalya's two godmothers. Harris, who was holding a bunch of balloons, each with a message for her godchild, said her smile was so wide it reached "from one eyebrow to the other". Fighting back tears, Harris said she was heartened by the number of people taking part. "I'm really glad everybody's turned out here to tautoko this hīkoi ... but it makes me miss her heaps when I look at all these other little kids. She was a beautiful child. I have a child of my own, she was very close to Catalya." Kaumatua Wikitoria Te Whata addresses the crowd. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf One of the organisers, Mutunga Rameka, of the hapū Te Matarahurahu, said the aim of the hīkoi was to show unity and celebrate Catalya. "The kaupapa is 'He tapu te mokopuna', which translates as 'All children are sacred'. It doesn't matter whether you know them or not. We have a duty as adults to look after all tamariki." Rameka was pleased with the turnout but said there was much more work to be done. "I'm hoping we can be part of that so we can show aroha to all mokopuna." Organiser Mutunga Rameka said the hīkoi aimed to show unity and honour Catalya's short life. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Mike Shaw, a community leader and pastor at Kaikohe's Celebration Church, said the tragedy had been keenly felt. "We're quite a small community, so when something like this happens it has a big impact … This literally happened in my street, and there's a sense of sadness and despair to know that such a young a beautiful life was ended so needlessly." Shaw he was concerned by what he said was the practice of bringing high-needs families into a town that was already struggling, and whether they had enough support. He believed social housing complexes needed not just external support, but also pastoral care from qualified people living on the premises and available whenever needed, to check up on residents who were struggling and de-escalate problems. "So I'm here to support the hīkoi and the community's grieving process, but also to get into discussions about where to from here, and how can we prevent these kinds of things from happening again." Shaw said Catalya's death was not a sign of a wider pattern in Kaikohe. "On the back of recent publicity about methamphetamine it could give you the impression that we're in a downward spiral, but this was an anomaly. Most families in Kaikohe are loving families that support their young people, so we're optimistic about the future while also being realistic about the high needs around us." Shaw said he was heartened by the number of young families taking part, "supporting each other through the grief into a better future". Many young families took part in the hīkoi. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Former Māori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels, fresh from being named in King's Birthday Honours, said the speeches after the hīkoi gave him cause for hope. "A number of our leaders and kaumātua and wahine toa said the cure for this does not lie with the government, it lies with ourselves, our whānau. It can't be fixed by government pouring money into more ambulances at the bottom of the cliff. We have to accept our responsibilities ourselves." Samuels said drugs and alcohol were usually the cause when families became dysfunctional. Te Matewai Skipworth hands out cake after the hīkoi. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf Government Minister Shane Jones, who was among the speakers, made a similar point. He said what had happened to Catalya was not a specifically Māori issue, but the result of people absorbing drug culture and losing all sense of responsibility. "The death of the baby is an inevitable culmination of moral decay, drugs and violence. The event today is positive because it's put the acid back on families themselves to intervene and not let situations escalate to a point where they're beyond salvation," Jones said. The 45-year-old man charged with assaulting and murdering Catalya is due in the High Court at Whangārei on 11 June. He has interim name suppression. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
