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This page last updated February 8 2006
2002-1102 - Dominion Post -
Wrongly jailed girls still await compo
by
Glen Scanlon - Three teenage girls wrongly jailed for a crime they did not
commit have still not been compensated 18 months after their plight was
highlighted. Their lawyer, Gary Gotlieb, said yesterday that
he was considering suing the Government and the police because of the time it
was taking for compensation to be paid……..Mr Gotlieb said a
police investigation of the case had been completed months ago and was still
sitting with the Crown Law Office. "We can't form our claim till we get
to see that report. They are worried about the report." Mr Gotlieb said he had written to Mr
Robinson on October 4 to see when the report would be available but
he had not received a reply.
2002-0905 - The Press -
Counselling covered
NZPA - Three teenage girls convicted of a crime they did not commit will
receive money for counselling as part of their total compensation, Justice
Minister Phil Goff says. He had
received a preliminary application for compensation for the three teenagers.
2002-0905 - NZ Herald - Compo for
wrongly convicted girls to include counselling
…Phil
Goff had received a preliminary application for compensation for the
teenagers. "I have made an initial decision that payment should be
available for counselling of those young women," he told a committee of
MPs. The state of mind that they were left in after seven months in Mt Eden
Prison for a crime they did not commit meant that "we have to try to
help them rebuild their lives." He has appointed Queen's Counsel Kristy
McDonald to advise him on compensation. She would determine the
degree of innocence and decide what level of compensation should be paid for
financial and non-financial losses they suffered
2002-0905 - Dominion Post -
Girls to get counselling
NZPA - Three teenage girls convicted of a crime they did not commit would
receive money for counselling as part of their total compensation, Justice
Minister Phil Goff said yesterday
2002-0821 - NZ Herald -
Treatment of wrongly jailed teen girls a disgrace
Trevor Franklin - policeman, former test cricketer - "Bullying
tone"
by Tapu Misa - There were holes in the police evidence big enough to drive a
truck through, yet three Pacific Island teenagers were still charged,
convicted and imprisoned for a crime they did not commit. It would never have
happened if they had been from Remuera - but being poor and powerless, the
odds were stacked against [the girls]. Betrayed by an inept police
investigation and indifferent legal representation, they spent seven months
in Mt Eden women's prison
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"Holes in the police evidence big enough to drive a truck
through"
"Girls betrayed by an inept police investigation and indifferent legal
representation"
"The wrongful conviction also raised "questions of conduct by the
police which is a serious matter and must be properly investigated".
These questions are so far unanswered"
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2002-0817 - TV3 - 20/20 -
Lost Innocents
Producers:
Stephen Davis and Amanda Millar; Reporter: Amanda Millar - We began this
investigation almost a year ago, when three teenagers were cleared of a terrible
crime. The Court of Appeal had decided these young girls had nothing to do
with the violent robbery that had landed them in jail. As we began making
calls and conducting interviews, the police launched two investigations of
their own. One to find out how they'd got it so wrong, and the other to catch
the offenders who'd really carried out the attack. So we waited to see what
they'd come up with. We waited and waited. But months later ... nothing. No
offenders caught, and no compensation for the three teenagers, whose freedom
and innocence was lost.
Fundamental
flaws in the Police Inquiry according to ex Police Superintendent
Bryan Rowe:
1)
Identification of girls was at the wrong place
and the wrong time and the wrong day
2)
Trevor Franklin threatened the main prosecution
witness that induced the witness to make a false confession. The case relied
on an obviously false confession.
3)
The police lied to one of the accused and her
mother that the others had confessed.
4)
There were inconsistencies in the statements: Wrong
number of girls, wrong ages, wrong heights, wrong weapon and no nose stud.
The inconsistencies were ignored.
5)
The police carried out no investigation of alibis
6)
The police carried out no timing exercise that
would have shown it was impossible for the girls to get to the scene of the
crime in time.
7)
Trevor Franklin ignored evidence that the main
prosecution witness had claimed she had lied, and he was even alleged to have
threatened the person with that evidence to butt out..
2002-0815 - NZ Herald - QC
advising on payout to wrongly jailed girls
by
Scott Macleod - A Queen's Counsel has been asked to advise the Government on
compensation for three girls who were wrongly jailed for robbery in 1999.
Justice Minister Phil Goff said yesterday that Kirsty McDonald, QC,
would give independent advice on whether the girls should receive a payout,
and if so, how much
2002-0815 - Dominion Post
- QC appointed to advise on innocent girls' compo claim
Justice
Minister Phil Goff has appointed a Queen's counsel to give him independent
advice on an application for compensation for three teenage girls wrongfully
imprisoned for a crime they did not commit.
Mr Goff has received a preliminary application for
compensation……. Among relevant factors would be the conduct of Crown
agencies, including the police, Mr Goff said. Police had undertaken an internal
investigation and this would be relevant to Ms McDonald's inquiry.
2002-0810 - Dominion Post -
Police regret delay in report on girls' jailing
by
Glen Scanlon - Police regret the amount of time it has taken to deal with the
inquiry into the wrongful imprisonment of three teenage girls for a crime
they did not commit, says Commissioner Rob Robinson…….Mr
Robinson said yesterday an internal inquiry report was still being
finalised by the Auckland district commander
2002-0806 - Dominion Post -
Blunder report finished
by
Glen Scanlon - Police Commissioner Rob Robinson has been sent the
report of an internal inquiry into the wrongful imprisonment of three teenage
girls for a crime they did not commit.
Police began two inquiries -- one into the original crime and an
internal one into the way the investigation was handled. Mr Gotlieb said
yesterday that the internal inquiry had been completed and a report sent to Mr
Robinson in the past week. He said it was an understatement to say
the situation had been dragging on too long. The report would absolve the
girls but what it found about the original police investigation was the
important issue
2002-0607 - The Dominion - Freed
girls still waiting for payout
NZPA - Three teenage girls wrongly imprisoned for a crime they did not commit
say they have had enough of waiting for compensation. They now want police to
pay at least part of the compensation they are due while the final amount is
decided.
A draft of the internal inquiry was completed several months ago and handed
to Superintendent Howard Broad, the officer in charge of the Auckland police
district. Mr Gotlieb said he had seen the draft and it failed to look at
whether police had failed in their duties. "It is just not good
enough," he said. Mr Broad had told him he could not look at the report
for two months.
2002-0324 - Sunday Star Times -
PoliceUnravel.htm
by
Rachel Grunwell - Up to 10 areas of concern are expected to be highlighted by
police as they investigate how three teenage girls were jailed for crimes
they did not commit. …..It is
understood police raised up to 10 areas of concern including:
·
A lack of supervision on the case.
·
A rushed investigation which took only two days,
with some checks allegedly not made.
·
Relatively junior staff handling a serious case.
Detective constable
Trevor Franklin, a former international test cricketer who now
works at Ponsonby police station, was in charge of the case and has continued
working
2002-0205 - The Dominion -
Wrongly jailed teens wait for compo
Police
tardiness was delaying compensation for three teenage girls who spent seven
months in jail for crimes they did not commit, their lawyer said yesterday.
Teangarua Akatere and Tania Mayze Vini, both 17, and McCushla Priscilla
Fuataha, 16, all of Auckland, were freed on bail from Mt Eden women's prison
last April and their convictions for aggravated robbery were quashed by the
Court of Appeal in October.
Lawyer Gary Gotlieb said police were yet to hand over details of the original
investigation of the case, despite repeated telephone calls, e-mails and letters.
"They've had since April. They're being coy. They don't want me to see
it and are trying to say there are parts of it that are confidential,"
he said.
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