The Star: October 05, 2023

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The Star Thursday October 5 2023 6 NEWS Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz ‘I forgive you’ victim says to man who • By Emily Moorhouse A MAN who organised sex work for a 15-year-old girl and took some of her earnings while she was addicted to drugs and desperately looking for guidance has been offered forgiveness. “I stand here to tell you that I forgive you,” the now 20-year-old woman, who has turned her life around, told Mathew Stephens. Stephens, 44, appeared in the district court yesterday where he was sentenced for “exploiting an extremely vulnerable” girl by organising a prostitution deal and taking $100 of the girl’s earnings. After giving Stephens discounts for previous good character, Judge Gerard Lynch sentenced him to three months of community detention with a curfew from 7pm to 6am daily, and 100 hours of community work. He also ordered Stephens to pay an emotional harm payment of $1000 to the victim. After a jury trial in June, Stephens was found guilty of one charge of assisting persons under 18 in providing commercial sexual services and one charge of receiving earnings from commercial sexual services provided by persons under 18. The charges relate to Stephens dropping the girl off at a motel to HARM: Mathew Stephens was found guilty at trial of assisting a person under 18 in providing commercial sexual services and receiving money from those services. meet a client before taking $100 of her earnings when the job was done, between October 2016 and June 2018. Stephens was found not guilty of another assisting and receiving charge. The woman read her victim impact statement in court, describing feeling lost and alone, turning to prostitution to fund her drug addiction. “You guided me to use my body for money. I looked up to you. I needed you to tell me I didn’t need to do that, and I PHOTO: GEORGE HEARD/NZ HERALD had choices.” The woman said she couldn’t face her own family and was crippled for years not knowing what to do with her life, looking for guidance when she met Stephens. She has been working and living in Christchurch and for the past few years has done a lot of reflection on what her life was like. “I am free now because of God’s grace. I am able to love and forgive myself. “I stand here today to tell you that I forgive you Mathew Stephens.” The woman, who has automatic name suppression, said she hoped Stephens was able to “change your heart and forgive yourself” as well. The young woman said she won’t ever get those years of her life back but will continue with her personal growth journey, stating her “only wish” was for Stephens to do the same. Stephens was charged under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 and repeatedly denied any involvement in the offending, claiming the woman was “vindictive and jealous” and made up the allegations to get back at him for sleeping with her friend. During the trial, the woman said she met Stephens when she was 15 and was very “mentally fragile”. She was also addicted to drugs, using methamphetamine, cannabis, speed, and MDMA, and was already involved in sex work. Now open at the Gallery Free entry Bras and shape Wear SHoPPiNg at itS BESt • No under wires • Straps do not fall down • Full support from beneath the bust • Breast Prostheses fitted & supplied • Esther is a registered health provider • Unique shape wear Formerly Jeunique Bra FREE CoNSULtatioNS & FittiNgS Esther Rökk UnderFashions For appointments please phone 0211674537 82 Milns Rd, Halswell • www.eru.co.nz free CONSULTS NZQA registered Private Training Establishment Enrolling Now NZ Certificate in Health & Wellbeing (Level 4) NZ Diploma in Health & Wellbeing (Level 5) Eligible for Studylink loans and allowances For more information email: info@maatawaka.org.nz or to register: https://maatawaka.org.nz/registration-of-interest/ A partnership project between Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū and Canterbury Museum William Huggins South Sea Whale Fishery (detail) 1825. Collection of Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, purchased 2015. Captain George Clapham Three-masted ship 1830s. Scrimshaw. Collection of Canterbury Museum At Better Denture we have a range of services and options available. New Dentures > Relines > Repairs > 6 Brynley St, Hornby, Christchurch Phone: 03 349 5050 www.betterdenture.co.nz
Thursday October 5 2023 The Star Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz NEWS 7 pimped her out at 15 No change to The Crown alleged Stephens introduced himself to the woman and told her that he sorts out deals for girls wanting to make money through sex work. He told her he was there to protect her and make her feel safe. In an interview with the police, which was played to the court, the woman described herself as a walking body with “no soul or spirit”. She said she was very broken, suicidal, “basically homeless” and felt like she had no genuine connections with anyone during the period she was associating with Stephens. She was raised in a Christian household and was not aware of what the real world was like and was “probably an easy target”, she said. She and Stephens would message each other often and see each other roughly four times a month, sometimes for sex work or to just “hang out”. The first time they met, Stephens gave her $100, she said. The woman also said Stephens was always quick to give her money and described him as “grooming” her, stating he would often pay her to spend time with him. She described “inappropriate behaviour” from Stephens that This report was produced by Open Justice – Te Pātītī, a Public Interest Journalism initiative funded by NZ on Air she felt “obliged” to respond to, such as kissing. The court heard how she sometimes felt uncomfortable, and Stephens would act as if the pair were a couple, on one occasion asking her for sex but later admitting it was wrong of him to ask. She described being high and sleep-deprived most of the time they saw each other. She eventually admitted herself to a rehabilitation programme to turn her life around and in 2020, made a statement to the police. She described Stephens as “manipulative and controlling” and having “no boundaries”. Crown prosecutor Patrick Brand said deterrence and denunciation for this type of offending was an important part of the sentencing process. Brand stressed how vulnerable victims were in this type of offending and while the woman was “extremely vulnerable” at the time, she had gone on a “path of self-discovery” and was much stronger now. Stephen’s lawyer Joshua Grainger said his client was assessed as having a low risk of reoffending, stating the organised prostitution happened one time and was quite a few years ago. “Mr Stephens is someone who will hopefully remain a stranger to this court once this case is over,” Grainger told Judge Gerard Lynch. Grainger pointed out the stigma that Stephens will have attached to him with media reporting on the case and asked the Judge Lynch to consider a sentence of community detention rather than home detention. Judge Lynch said while there would be some attention on Stephens’ case “that is simply a result of criminal offending”. Judge Lynch turned to the woman in court and acknowledged her generosity in forgiving Stephens and her courage in sharing the impact his offending had on her. “I wanted to acknowledge today just how impressed I was to learn how you did not wallow, rather you pulled yourself up and are a much different and improved version of yourself today.” Judge Lynch said Stephens exploited the woman who was “extremely vulnerable” and would have seen him as a person she could trust given the significant age gap. OCR at 5.5% ADRIAN ORR and the Reserve Bank monetary policy committee have kept the Official Cash Rate on hold at 5.5 per cent. Given tight pre-election timing and the fact third-quarter inflation data will not be known until October 17, economists had mostly expected the rate to stay put. But a hike was not completely ruled out and a more aggressive tone was expected from the Reserve Bank. The central bank’s monetary policy committee agreed interest rates might need to remain at a restrictive level for a more sustained period of time. “Interest rates are constraining economic activity and reducing inflationary pressure as required,” the central bank said. “Demand growth in the economy continues to ease. While GDP growth in the June quarter was stronger than anticipated, the growth outlook remains subdued.” The RBNZ said with monetary conditions staying restrictive, spending growth was expected to decline further. “Globally, economic growth remains below trend and headline inflation has eased for most of our trading partners.” Core inflation had eased, but to a lesser extent. “Weakening global demand is putting downward pressure on New Zealand export volumes and prices. Apart from oil, global import prices have eased.” The imbalance between supply and demand was moderating but a prolonged period of subdued activity was needed to reduce inflationary pressure, the bank added. “There is a near-term risk that activity and inflation do not slow as much as needed.” Springtime Mobility Savings SHOP NOW FOR UNBEATABLE SELECTION AND SAVINGS ON INVACARE, PRIDE, AND CTM SCOOTERS FREE $500 Accessories with Scooter Purchase Wide range of accessories available: Sherpa coloured backpacks Safety flags Windscreens All-weather storage covers Only while stocks last 113 Blenheim Rd, Christchurch | 0800-666-222 | www.moremobility.co.nz | christchurch@moremobility.co.nz Open 9-5pm Monday to Friday & Saturday 9am-2pm FREE Home Demonstration available.
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