Latest news with #Levin
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Former Justice Minister Judith Collins refuses to apologise to Lake Alice survivor
Lake Alice survivor Karilyn Wildbore and family. Photo: RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham A senior government minister has refused to apologise to a Lake Alice abuse survivor for telling the United Nations more than 10 years ago that there was no state torture in New Zealand. Then-Justice Minister Judith Collins made the comments in 2014, a decade before the government first used the word 'torture' in relation to the Lake Alice child and adolescent unit in the 1970s. She said she was acting on UN reports from the time. The government now says that children and young people who suffered electric shocks or painful paralysing injections at the Rangitīkei institution are eligible for redress, because they were tortured. Included in that is the offer of $150,000 rapid redress payments , which Levin woman Karilyn Wildbore has decided to take up. In March, she also asked for her compensation to include an apology from Collins, now Attorney-General and Minister of Defence, for her 2014 comments. When questioned about New Zealand's obligations under UN conventions, particularly from the Iranian delegate, Collins said: "In response to Iran, I can advise that there is no state torture in New Zealand." In a letter to Wildbore this week, Collins said she would not apologise for the comments. "My response to Iran's remarks reflected the findings of the United Nations subcommittee on the prevention of torture, which had visited New Zealand in April 2013. "In its report, provided to New Zealand in November 2013, the subcommittee found 'no evidence of torture or physical ill-treatment' in places of detention in New Zealand." Collins said she acknowledged the experiences of Wildbore and others at the Lake Alice unit. "However, I don't believe that what I told the UPR [universal periodic review] in 2014, in response to a remark from Iran, was wrong. "As such, I am unable to provide the apology Ms Wildbore has requested." Wildbore said she was not surprised. "Denial's the name of the game at the moment," she said. "No matter what you do, people don't want to be responsible." Wildbore said Collins should have known about what had happened at Lake Alice, especially since the first compensation payments were made more than a decade before 2014. Only last year, the government began using the word 'torture' to describe the unit's treatment of children and young people, under lead psychiatrist Dr Selwyn Leeks. The $150,000 rapid payments are part of a $22.68 million package for Lake Alice Survivors announced late last year. Survivors who received electric shocks or paralysing injections could either opt for these payments or head to arbitration. Collins' office was contacted for comment. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
1News
21 hours ago
- Politics
- 1News
Boy racers involved in Levin event say they 'don't condone' violence at police
Two boy racers who were at the Levin invasion over the weekend say they "don't condone" the violence directed at police officers. Five spectators and several police officers were injured as the gathering of around 1000 people spiralled out of control on Saturday. A woman who was spectating the event had both of her legs run over. 1News has seen footage of a young man getting hit by a skidding vehicle, badly injuring both of his legs. He is currently unable to walk and is awaiting surgery. The event was held just before the one-year anniversary of the 2024 'Levin Invasion', where about 30 police officers were outnumbered by 200 anti-social road users, leaving officers injured. ADVERTISEMENT This year, the boy racers did burnouts while hundreds of spectators crowded around the intersection, filming and watching. Several officers were injured after being pelted with rocks, bottles, and struck by fireworks as they worked to break up the gathering. Two boy racers – who did not want to be identified on camera – told 1News they took part in the skidding but left when police showed up with riot shields. "Half of the people that were shooting fireworks at the cars and creating that violence towards police don't even have a skid car there, they're just spectators,' one boy racer told 1News. He claimed the leader of the 2025 Levin invasion ended up 'in the cells'. Ten people have been arrested in relation to the event, and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said more are likely. 'Could have been a lot worse' ADVERTISEMENT Chambers and Police Minister Mark Mitchell have both condemned the illegal street activity in Horowhenua. The Police Commissioner described those who took part as 'menaces and morons', while Mitchell referred to those involved as 'moronic bloody idiots'. "Two of my colleagues were injured last night by fireworks. It could have been a lot worse," Chambers said. "These idiots were intentionally targeting our police officers and firing skyrockets at them, including bottles, rocks. I think there were a couple of idiots that had tomahawks," Mitchell added. 'I'd rather not live than stop skidding' The boy racers say they love to skid but want somewhere to do it safely – without the violence. "We don't mean to piss off the community. We really don't because we're part of the community," one of the boy racers told 1News. ADVERTISEMENT "I'd rather not live than stop skidding." The other of the two young men said they've tried to get skid pads "but the government keeps saying that we can't get one 'cause we've got no registrations or warrants on our cars". After 1News pointed out that it was the law to have registrations and warrants on vehicles, he was adamant he would continue to skid. "We're still out here dong it anyway," he said. "Would they rather the streets get teared up or a skid pad?" Two weeks ago, the Government announced tougher penalties for boy racers and fleeing drivers. The changes will be introduced in new legislation around mid-2025.
RNZ News
a day ago
- General
- RNZ News
Tauranga bracing for another street racer event
Photo: Tauranga is bracing for another street racer invasion after police stopped an event from taking place in the city on Saturday. On Friday night, around 1000 people gathered in Levin and Palmerston North and police were forced to wear riot gear when bystanders were struck by cars. Now, police have told RNZ they were aware of a possible event in Tauranga on Sunday night. The city's mayor Mahé Drysdale said he was worried it could get out of control and they had been in touch with police. "It's very disappointing people want to disrupt our community and use our public spaces to cause a nuisance. "They [the police] responded well last night and nipped it in the bud before it became a problem. I hope they can do it again tonight." Drysdale said it was unacceptable people had been injured in street racing events this weekend. "Street racers have to think about the consequences if they were to hit or kill someone. "It's not worth it for a cheap thrill for a very short period of time." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Police were ready for 'senseless and mindless' people on anniversary of Levin violence
Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver [xlert]Hundreds of people and cars descended on Levin overnight, driving recklessly and disrupting the community - mayor Hundreds of people and cars descended on Levin overnight, driving recklessly and disrupting the community, the Horowhenua District Mayor says. Mayor Bernie Wanden said Friday night was the anniversary of an illegal gathering that turned violent a year ago , and there had been rumours a crowd would return. He said a large contingent turned up in Levin on Friday evening . "Estimated to be over 1000 people. It turned a little ugly, they deliberately tried to incite and taunt police, tried to provoke them by running into one of their vehicles, setting off fireworks and things like that," he said. "Police were able to break up that gathering, but they had been there for a while - you could hear it throughout the town. They then broke up and went out into different parts of the region and into Palmerston North, before returning to Levin in the early morning and finally breaking up about three o'clock. "Quite a long night for police and emergency people that had to deal with a number of senseless and mindless people who were just there to create as much mayhem as they could." Wanden said police were aware of the gathering and had prepared for it. "We had drones and the Eagle helicopter was deployed around the town, [police] were well supported by that back-up and their ability to be able to break up and then move accordingly was really helpful. "While there were no serious incidents, I do believe some bystanders had been injured through the night, which is really unfortunate, but fortunately no police injuries or anything like that." A video posted to social media showed police standing in formation with shields and body armour, across the highway at the central Queen Street and Oxford Street shops, with multiple sirens heard and many thick dark tyre skid marks seen in circles on the intersection in front of them. On 1 June, 2024, a gathering of more than 200 people and cars in Levin turned violent, with a crowd blocking the town's main street and officers reporting projectiles thrown at them. RNZ has approached police for comment. Earlier this month, the government announced stiffer punishments for those convicted of offences related to boy-racing, and for drivers who fail to stop for police. Those caught doing burnouts or taking part in unauthorised street racing or intimidating convoys faced vehicle destruction as a presumptive sentence, while fines for making excess noise from a vehicle were also raised. At the time of the announcement, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said New Zealanders were sick and tired of seeing "idiot drivers" put the community at risk. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
3 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Sirens, choppers, burnouts reported in Levin, one year on from violent boy racer conflict
Events a year ago this weekend turned violent, with confrontations between a large crowd and police in Levin. Photo: NZ Police / Supplied Levin residents say police and hoons are already out in force on the anniversary of earlier conflict. Last year, a gathering of more than 200 people and cars in Levin turned violent on Saturday 1 June, with a crowd blocking the town's main street, and officers reporting projectiles thrown at them. A year later, on Friday night, "riot police" had closed State Highway 1 through central Levin, the administrator of popular Facebook page Traffic Fox said. Video showed police standing in formation with shields and body armour, across the highway at the central Queen Street and Oxford Street shops, with multiple sirens heard and many thick dark tyre skid marks seen in circles on the intersection in front of them. "At around 10pm, hundreds of car enthusiasts, or "boy racers" converged on Levin and tried to close off the main highway doing burnouts and skids, police were prepared and stopped a lot of it," the Traffic Fox administrator said. "Yet bottles were smashed, rubber was laid, a couple of people were arrested for carrying weapons, riot police were out in force, cars were rammed etc. Even the Police Eagle helicopter was brought down from Auckland!" Much of the group had left the town by about 11pm, and were heading north toward Palmerston North, she said. More than 100 comments on Levin social media groups showed locals were following the progress of the police helicopter across the town, with many reporting the helicopters were tracking boy racers. "Sounds are going hard now, from police sirens to choppers, to burn outs, to police chases ... quite uneasy for Levin locals," one person said on a local forum, shortly before 11pm, Friday. "[We] will see if this current government puts its 2025 boy racer legislation where it's mouth is," another commenter said. Stuff reported a large gathering of boy racers were expected in the town for King's Birthday Weekend, but were not wanted. Horowhenua District Mayor Bernie Wanden told Stuff the town has "had a gutsful", and did not want hoons coming back and causing "mayhem". Police were aware of the event and had plans and resources to respond, he said. Police did not respond to RNZ's request for comment. Earlier this month, the government announced stiffer punishments for those convicted of offences related to boy-racing, and for drivers who fail to stop for police. Those caught doing burnouts or taking part in unauthorised street racing or intimidating convoys faced vehicle destruction as a presumptive sentence, while fines for making excess noise from a vehicle were also raised. At the time of the announcement, Transport Minister Chris Bishop said New Zealanders were sick and tired of seeing "idiot drivers" put the community at risk. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
