Call to DNA test animal attackers

Wirimu Karena and Sahn Papa

The Sensible Sentencing Trust plans to petition the Government for a law change so people convicted of violence against animals can be forced to give DNA samples.

This follows a case in which two Huntly teenagers set cats on fire and killed them.

Sahn Papa, 18, and Wirimu Karena, 17, appeared in the Huntly District Court yesterday and admitted aggravated cruelty to an animal.

Overseas studies have shown a high correlation between cruelty to animals by youth and later offending against humans.

Sensible Sentencing spokesman Garth McVicar says forcing offenders like Papa and Karena to give DNA samples would enable them to be tracked.

On April 19, the pair were riding around Huntly on their BMX bikes when they came across three cats trapped in Humane Society traps.

They poured glue over them and set them on fire, leaving them to die.

Papa was remanded on bail for sentencing on August 31, and Karena was remanded on bail to reappear on July 6, when he is due at a status hearing on unrelated charges.

Mr McVicar said that when offenders were caught for serious crimes against humans, if you looked back through the history of many of them you would find offences against animals.

Mr McVicar said Papa and Karena both had a history of involvement with the police and alarm bells should be ringing.

The SPCA supports Sensible Sentencing's move and together they have commissioned a study on the country's worst violent offenders, researching if they have early history of cruelty to animals.

Mr McVicar plans to meet Auckland SPCA chief executive Bob Kerridge on July 4 to discuss plans, including moves for better information sharing between the society and agencies such Child, Youth and Family and the police.

"What we're trying to do is get linkage between the organisations that actually follow them."

Mr McVicar said Sensible Sentencing webmaster Peter Jenkins was overseas for six weeks studying how foreign organisations share information in relation to young people offending against animals.

Mr Kerridge said information was already shared in New Zealand through an organisation known as First Strike, started in 2003.

He said the Huntly case was a good example to highlight concern.

"This connection between animal cruelty and human abuse is very clear and this is a very typical example of it."

He said the attitude and actions of Papa and Karena showed they were potentially dangerous to society.

Outside court yesterday Karena took pictures of waiting media on his cellphone saying, "You take a picture of me, I'll take a picture of you".

Asked if he regretted what he had done, he said: "I was under the influence, yep, cause it was a stupid thing to do," before playing up for the cameras.

Bail conditions forbid Papa and Karena from associating.