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Original poster

Another light sentence for sick assault- oh and ‘therapy’

36 replies

Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 08:15

I’m sick of this. This is a horrific crime and he gets home detention?

i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/110015231/senior-wellington-academic-sexually-assaulted-82yearold-rest-home-resident

I’d like to ask you if you think ‘therapy’ and ‘mental illness’ are being used to get men off or on light sentences. Because I’m seeing it a lot. I have mental health problems and it does not impact my judgement when it comes to hurting others or drink driving ( Ant McPartlin ) or whatever else they’re getting away with because they’re stressed or suffer depression. Sorry but if they’re dangerous then I don’t understand why they get lighter punishment because they have mental illness. One of the purposes of our judicial system is to protect us. I spoke to someone from a sports organisation this week about a guy who got off conviction after publicly beating his partner. Same excuses there. It’s a behavioural issue not a character trait. He’s going through therapy... I mean, the rate of reoffending is high so what the heck is this therapy even achieving?? I am ranting but I’m just so angry at these pitiful sentences and the constant use of mental illness as a way of diminishing responsibility. It doesn’t matter if women are old and incontinent, in a vegetative state, or an 18 month old baby... we are never fucking safe

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Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 26/01/2019 08:37

I'm from NZ too, I think it's hard for people to understand the ingrained sexism about some things from outside

Yes it is. I had a very long discussion with the communications manager of NZ Rugby about their handling of the most recent player to commit DV. It was enlightening and extremely frank. One thing I got out of it, is they don’t really know what to do. Do they let the judicial system deal with it? Or do they have a zero tolerance policy regardless of the outcome of any case. In addition, how can they change the culture there when so many don’t get it, have never experienced or even discussed DV much at all, or have any idea of the appropriate way to speak about it when one of their players does it. They agreed they need to talk to more people who’ve experienced it, and address their approach so far- which is not to penalise them by not letting them play.

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WhirlwindHugs · 26/01/2019 08:30

It's horrible. I really hope that now he has been named, if there are more victims (seems likely as others have said) that the y come forward and he gets a longer sentence.

I'm from NZ too, I think it's hard for people to understand the ingrained sexism about some things from outside.

feministfairy · 26/01/2019 08:30

Grant Hannis. Well let's make sure that his name is shared as often as possible on the internet .

OP - I share your horror at what has happened. Like so many women, I find contemplating the repeated evil acts that so many men commit against the vulnerable, soul destroying. I know NAMALT but too many are. And Grant Hannis is one of them.

Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 26/01/2019 08:22

FlyingOink thank you for that, I didn’t understand much about it.

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FlyingOink · 26/01/2019 04:36

Sorry I forgot to mention that they refer to a lower recidivism rate so even if an offender takes his meds religiously and doesn't sell them on, he's still not guaranteed to stop offending.
Also I'm not convinced surgical castration would work, not that is advocate something as barbaric as that - but as humans a great deal of our sexual urges and sexual thoughts/feelings are in the mind. We're not like animals that go on heat. So removing the physical source of testosterone and sperm production isn't going to stop sexual urges altogether, otherwise post-op transwomen would all be sexless.

FlyingOink · 26/01/2019 04:32

What about chemical castration for sex offenders? Why can’t we do that? I am assuming it would be an infringement of their ‘human rights’.
They take the prescriptions willingly, it's not a one-off injection. As such it's very open to abuse:
Some criminologists argue that the appearance of a lower recidivism rate in male sex offenders who take chemical castration treatment than in those who do not can be explained by factors other than biological effects of the medication. One hypothesis is that men who accept the negative effects of hormonal treatment in exchange for shorter prison sentence are distinct in that they value freedom from incarceration higher than men who rather stay in prison for a longer time than face the side effects of chemical castration. These criminologists explain apparently lower recidivism as an artifact of men who accept chemical castration being more engaged in hiding the evidence for reoffending, and that paroling such offenders constitute a risk of releasing criminals who commit as many new crimes as others but are better at hiding it. These criminologists also argue that police investigators treating castrated men as less likely to reoffend than non-castrated men may cause an investigation bias and self-fulfilling prophecy, and that men who sell some of their prescribed medicines on the black market for drugs get a hidden income that improve their ability to afford measures to hide recidivism that is not available to men without such prescriptions.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_castration
I wouldn't want to rely on a sex offender's word, put it that way.

Illyria47 · 26/01/2019 02:10

Had to get that off my chest. That poor woman will never, ever feel safe again.

Illyria47 · 26/01/2019 01:53

Bastard.

Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 23:18

Me too. Nobody cares when women cry. Yet men cry and say how sorry they are and how their life is ruined, and they get tea and sympathy. Fuck that judge.

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lydiamajora · 25/01/2019 22:56

It just sickens me how often in these cases there is a judge at the center who empathizes faaaar too much with the rapist. "Oh, poor thing, think of his reputation! Think of his future! All over one little mistake that could happen to anyone."

Always makes me wonder about those judges.

Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 21:47

It’s pretty fucking disturbing. I wonder if Jacinda, who the left love to fawn over, will step in on this like she does when she has little chats to celebrities about their wants.

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lydiamajora · 25/01/2019 20:56

Hannis referred to himself and the victim as "private lovers" and talked about their "little secret"

Jesus fucking christ.

Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 15:56

Oh my god. Fuck that judge.

Hannis referred to himself and the victim as "private lovers" and talked about their "little secret".

This is a sick, deluded and dangerous man.

I feel ill

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ProfessoressWoland · 25/01/2019 15:42

Unbelievable.
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12194243

Former Massey University journalism lecturer Grant Hannis, 55, fought to keep his name permanently suppressed arguing it would cause him and those connected to him extreme hardship.

"There ought to be a discount to recognise the effect of publication on you as a form of penalty," the judge said during today's sentencing.

He factored the discount in with other mitigating features, such as Hannis' previous good character, his contribution to the community, and his remorse.

University of Auckland law professor Bill Hodge said there was nothing in the Sentencing Act to suggest the lifting of name suppression should warrant a discount on sentence.

picklemepopcorn · 25/01/2019 15:34

Sounds like a manipulative sick sod. And I bet he's done similar before.

ProfessoressWoland · 25/01/2019 15:16

It amazes me that the judge is so willing to give him the benefit of the doubt - given that his identity hasn't been revealed to allow other potential victims to come forward, and the classic predatory MO of attacking a vulnerable person in a care home, how can the judge be so sure that this was a one-off?

Lefthanddown · 25/01/2019 14:48

Horrific. I feel for the women in this case and other similar cases, it is bad enough dealing with the abuse and the after effects, without the case going to court and the bloke allowed to claim so many mitigating factors that the sentence is pitifully inadequate for the crime.

Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 14:20

So much focus on this man's character and loss of status. Why?

This. Every time this is the focus when it comes to sentencing and often public responses. The recent DV case involving a rugby player in NZ is another example.... such a great guy, it would ruin his rugby career if he was convicted ( despite admitting it, although no point denying as it was public ) blah blah blah

These people are dangerous. I want us protected as a priority.

browndog, I actually initially thought life too. What about chemical castration for sex offenders? Why can’t we do that? I am assuming it would be an infringement of their ‘human rights’. If you’re being inhuman to others, I think your rights should be the last thing on anyone’s mind.

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Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 14:16

I mean, I fully expect women to have biases too. but if we could get to 50/50 the world wouldn’t be so skewed, and vulnerable, elderly women might get a bit more justice.

Absolutely. Although I’ve been shocked reading certain cases this past year or so, to see female defence lawyers and even judges, punishing female victims of abuse ( like holding lacey knickers up in court to attempt to prove she was up for it ). Maybe as they are within that culture, it’s rubbed off on them. More women in the system would hopefully change some of this.

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BettyDuMonde · 25/01/2019 13:39

Gosh only one comment all morning?! There is more than just trans issues to discuss

I posted on a thread yesterday about how I can’t even bring myself to open all the threads on violence against women and girls. Their stories stay with me all day, I worry about the victims and their families and I feel it chipping away at my own mental health.

Much easier on the heart to comment on political stuff and still be able to get on with cheerful parenting of my DD.

This man is a sick fuck and demonstrates how women need political and judicial representation. There is still too much old boys network stuff, both real world or subconscious bias, that allows a successful man to excuse the shit behaviours of a man who is otherwise their social mirror.
I mean, I fully expect women to have biases too. but if we could get to 50/50 the world wouldn’t be so skewed, and vulnerable, elderly women might get a bit more justice.

ProfessoressWoland · 25/01/2019 13:37

And this:
"It is difficult to understand and rationalise, and it is really completely out of character."
It was a dramatic fall from grace for the man, the judge said."

So much focus on this man's character and loss of status. Why?
It will be interesting to see what happens when his name is published. There could be more victims, which is exactly why he shouldn't be granted anonymity.

littlbrowndog · 25/01/2019 13:22

Sorry it would be life from me
He might get a wee bit of stress and do it again
Not safe person

Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 13:20

FlyingOink

He did admit it, yes. But he cried and he was stressed so, we have to show compassion

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Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 13:20

That deserves a longer sentence in my opinion

Totally agreed. I can’t stop thinking about it. All o can see is my Nan, trying to deal with the results of a stroke and then some man doing that. I’d want to kill him.

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Original poster
Oxytocindeficient · 25/01/2019 13:18

The judge said the man had previous good character and a substantial career."

Yup, that was particularly enraging.

NZ is utterly appalling at dealing with crimes against woman, the penalties are pretty low all-round. We have the highest rate of DV in the western world and child abuse is pretty dire too. This will shock a lot of people though. Who the fuck looks at a sick old lady who had had a stroke and thinks of doing that? For me, I would honestly give that man a tougher sentence because it was an elderly person- akin to abusing a child in my book. Minimum 5 years in prison for me.

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