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

[Oxytocindeficient]

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

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

It's nothing short of a fucking disgrace. Work stress manifests itself a desire to sexually assaulted vulnerable old ladies ? I say this repeatedly these days, but they must think we are stupid.

I know. My Mum is in NZ and horrified. My Nan has a stroke and was incontinent. It would never have occurred to me she was at risk in hospital or the care home, from these kinds of sick individuals. How on earth does he get away with this??

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

It awful
So fed up reading this stuff where men do what the fuck they want to anybody and get away with slap on wrist
He changed that ladies life for ever
He want his name withheld the fucker

I know. I’m glad the name suppression is ending but the sentence is a joke. I honestly cried for her. Men do this to babies and sick elderly women and everything in between.

That’s utterly revolting. I cannot fathom the mindset required to do that.

If their mental illness makes them act like that then they are a danger to the public and should be kept away from them!

I know. How can they even do this and how can the justice system ignore the affect it has on victims
They are meant to protect the vulnerable not accepting their sad stories
It’s insulting to ppl who have mental health problem to suggest that this is an excuse for sexually assaulting

That's grim. Plus he must have admitted it, because there's no way they would have convicted a successful man on the testimony of an elderly lady in a care home and a care assistant.
I'm glad they're publishing his name. Part of the reason these things don't happen even more often is that men are afraid of losing face amongst their peers. So informing the public that X bloke did X crime is important, and there's no real argument against it.

I just can’t fathom seeing a vulnerable person in a care home and thinking phwoar got to get me some of that...

Literally one of the most vulnerable people in our society. Instead of care and gentleness and empathy you attack them? That deserves a longer sentence in my opinion.

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

So fucking what? Harold Shipman had a substantial career.
This man first claimed it was consensual and is now saying that he won't reoffend, honest. FFS.

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.

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.

FlyingOink

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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.

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

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

Jesus fucking christ.