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Focus on
Police Competence |
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The Justice Minister
has confirmed three teenage girls sent to jail for a crime they did not
commit have been offered around $160,000 each in compensation for loss of
liberty, reputation, and emotional distress. Lucy Akatere, McCushla
Fuataha and Tania Vini spent seven months in jail for aggravated robbery of a
school girl in Mount Roskill in Auckland in August 1999. Their convictions were
overturned at appeal when two principal witnesses retracted their testimony. Phil Goff says the
compensation offer was first made to the girls in March last year, but
despite months of negotiations it has been rejected. He believes the offer
is fair and the matter will now go to court. An initial hearing is
set down for December 14. |
