Capill will 'prolong pain for victims'

Graham Capill

Disgraced moral campaigner Graham Capill is adding to the pain of his sex abuse victims by trying to get his jail time cut, critics say.

The former Christian Heritage Party leader and police prosecutor is appealing against the nine-year prison sentence he received last month for multiple sexual offences, including rape, against three young girls.

His lawyer, Jonathan Eaton, said the appeal would be on the grounds that the nine-year sentence was "manifestly excessive". No date has been set for the appeal.

For 12 years, Capill publicly decried paedophiles, homosexuals and preached about family values while he abused the girls. He even suggested before his sentencing that one of his victims had consented to his sexual advances.

In a statement read to the Christchurch District Court at his sentencing, the 46-year-old father of 10 said he was ashamed and regretted his past actions.

"I know how many people looked to me as a campaigner for moral values.

"I recognise the utter hypocrisy between what I said in public and did privately. I apologise unreservedly to the people of New Zealand for that."

Ewen McQueen, who took over from Capill as leader of the Christian Heritage Party, said the nine-year sentence was "entirely appropriate".

"I'm surprised that it is being appealed. I would have thought he would just leave it lie for the sake of the victims and everyone else if he really understood the seriousness of what he had done.

"You think back to the apology he made in court - what light does it throw on that now?"

The manager of Christchurch's Sexual Abuse Centre, Megan Rowe, said Capill's appeal would likely add more stress to his victims.

"It means it is not out of the public eye yet and it is still going to be appearing in the newspapers and that sort of thing.

"And also, if his appeal is granted and his sentence is reduced, it minimises what has happened to the victims. They may wonder: 'Am I not worthy of that sentence'?"

Mr McQueen said the Capill issue continued to be a "festering sore" for his party as it tried to move ahead with an election looming.

"It is a political nightmare, but our problems don't compare with those of [Capill's] victims."

Asked if Capill sought to diminish his guilt by appealing, Mr Eaton said it was only about whether the sentence was fair.

Garth McVicar, of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, said Capill was "in absolute denial" about his crimes.

"I would encourage the Appeal Court to increase his sentence, which they have the power to do."

Given Capill's high profile, he deserved a long term to show people they must take responsibility for their actions, Mr McVicar said.

The manager of the Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust, Ken Clearwater, said Capill's sentence was fair, considering his crimes.

"He should just shut his mouth and do his time ... He is still at the stage of apologising to everybody in New Zealand, but there has never been an apology to his victims," Mr Clearwater said.

"The longer he stays in prison, the better it will be for everyone."

At Capill's sentencing, Judge Robert Kerr also criticised him for an email to supporters that suggested some of the sexual offending was consensual.