The Star: August 01, 2019

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The Star Thursday August 1 2019
16
OPINION
news online at www.star.kiwi
Judge who thinks outside the square
RAOUL NEAVE is a judge who
does things at times outside of
the square.
He is predicting a public
backlash over his decision in
the district court this week not
to impose a prison sentence on
Marcel Sydney Geros (right)
after another cowardly attack on
a vulnerable individual.
Geros is what is known as a
predator. Predators don’t usually
attack people of their own
strength or cunning. They seek
out the old, weak and vulnerable
and strike when they least expect
it – in other words, easy targets
and ones which they will easily
overcome.
Geros, who is 27, has a history
of attacking the vulnerable. In
2009, he was jailed for seven
years for a vicious attack on
a 73-year-old in the North
Island. Geros was 17 at the time.
Bashing someone 50-plus years
older? Courageous stuff.
From the
editor’s desk
Barry Clarke
In September last year, Geros
was prowling the streets of
Christchurch. He spotted a
jogger at 5.50am and attacked.
He had a boxcutter knife and
tried to kidnap her.
He injured the woman but
she fought back. Predators often
don’t like a fight, it’s not part of
the plan. But this woman had
the psychological confidence and
physical strength to make this
attack difficult for Geros.
And that was probably lucky
for her. She then did the sensible
thing and ran, hiding in a nearby
cul-de-sac where she called the
police.
Geros was soon captured.
Police later alleged 20min before
the attack on the jogger he had
confronted another woman near
Jellie Park.
He was clearly prowling. The
common denominator in these
two attacks – women.
Geros admitted charges of
attempted kidnapping and
injuring with intent to injure.
On Tuesday, he faced Judge
Neave who was to sentence him
for the offences.
To most given his track record,
a jail sentence was thought to be
his fate but not to Judge Neave.
Geros will instead serve
an intensive supervision
sentence in the community
for the next two years. Judge
Neave explained in court, after
spending 10 months in custody
on remand, Geros would have
been eligible to apply for release
soon if a prison term had been
imposed.
But he did say a public
backlash might be coming.
“No doubt there will be letters
to the editor demanding my
resignation,” he told the district
court. “It won’t be the first time
and it won’t be the last.”
When Judge Neave began the
sentencing, he gave an indication
of what was to come by saying:
“I don’t know what to do, to be
honest,” in reference to what
Geros’ fate would be.
He said a cultural report
showed Geros had come from
an unfortunate background and
had needed to “deal with more
things than most people could
even contemplate.”
“He has got some incredibly
complex needs and unless and
until they are dealt with he is
going to be a significant problem
to the community. If I send him
to prison, absolutely zip will
happen, quite apart from the
fact that he will be out before
we know it. I am not prepared
to contemplate that,” said Judge
Neave.
He said imprisonment and
post-release conditions would do
nothing to address community
safety issues.
Let’s hope that Geros takes this
opportunity.
barry@starmedia.kiwi
Women’s council takes issue over subsidised childcare
National Council
of Women New
Zealand president Vanisa
Dhiru responds to last
week’s From the editor’s
desk on the possibility
city councillors will be
reimbursed for their
childcare – by ratepayers
THE COMMENTS from The
Star editor Barry Clarke last
week on childcare costs being
reimbursed to local elected
members reflects a sad and
somewhat dated view that does
not reflect the humanity focused
“for the greater good” position
we believe most reasonable New
Zealand adults would hold.
There wasn’t government
paid maternity/paternity leave
when many of our mothers had
children, however they do not
resent women today being able
to get that support today. In fact
most would applaud it.
Mr Clarke suggests there
is no reason why an elected
member should be treated any
differently to another business
employing busy mums and dads.
In some respects he is right. But
this is only because we need
more gender diversity in the
community, business sector,
and at board and council tables.
These settings need to equitably
represent the communities
which are affected by the policies
these authorities implement, and
the strategies they promote.
We also need more young
women – for the same reason.
Local Government New
Zealand’s 2016 figures show that
only eight per cent of women
elected to local government were
aged 31 to 40. A miserable two
per cent were aged 18-31. They
are the ones with children and
they are the ones for whom this
policy would help to get around
these board and table settings.
As LGNZ’s 2016 Electorate
Profile report notes: “Democratic
legitimacy in a representative
system of government not
only involves the willingness
of voters to vote, but also the
degree to which those elected
both represent and reflect the
character of the electorate.”
Since 1989, the proportion of
women elected members has
grown from 25 per cent to 38 per
cent. But it is important to note
that prior to 2010, data was for
councillors and mayors only and
it is only since 2010 all elected
members, representing councils,
local boards in Auckland and
community boards, have been
counted.
Of course there’s a degree of
public service in working in
a role like this, but you can’t
pay the groceries or mortgage
with public service. Whereas
some elected members do have
additional income (about one
third said their elected member
remuneration was their only
income), it is the women who
are primarily the care giver
in young families so this is
their only income. They bring
important skills, knowledge, a
perspective and dynamic that is
essential to gaining an equitable
level of representation in local
government and should not
be penalised for adding to the
democracy in our communities.
•Clarke responds:
Christchurch city councillors
are paid $102,400. They earn
enough to pay for their own
childcare.
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