NZ Herald
Herald on Sunday
May 25 2008

Blind justice creates anger
Opinion by Kerre Woodham

Kerre Woodham

Justice sure as hell has been blind this week, hasn't it? First there was the case of a man, who deeply loved his mother, being convicted of attempting to murder her because he tried to alleviate her terrible pain.

Then there was the man acquitted of the rape and murder of his terribly vulnerable and ill niece.

One of the reasons he got off was that, according to experts, a man's DNA traces can be found on your undies if everything gets mixed up together in the wash.

Wish I'd had that as an excuse when I found myself unmarried and pregnant.

And apparently, you will be held accountable by the justice system if you smack your kids but, by crikey, pick them up by the ankles, smash them against the wall and explode their skulls, and you'll be sweet.

Provided, that is, you belong to a feral, cunning group of people whose only loyalties are to themselves and who see any state agency, any community worker, any member of civilised society as the enemy.

One of the people in that poxy little house where little Chris and Cru Kahui died killed those children, but there's blood on all their hands. I know Chris senior was acquitted and the right decision was reached, but it defies belief that he wouldn't have a reasonable idea who the murderer might be.

The police investigation was shoddy, as is evidenced by the embarrassing speed with which the jury acquitted Kahui.

I accept they were overworked and understaffed, and I accept, too, that the media, of which I am a part, share a little of the blame.

The white-hot glare of scrutiny under which the police operated would have made it incredibly difficult to conduct an investigation, but the police have failed those babies.

I heard a lot of fury and pain and despair from talkback callers after the acquittal and I understood it. Not enough to agree that police should have the power to throw entire households into cells and leave them there until somebody snaps, but I understand the frustration that drives such a sentiment.

All we can hope for is that someone in that toxic household grows either a heart or a conscience and provides the police with new information that ultimately leads to a prosecution.

Only then will justice be seen to have been done.