Changes to victim notification after killer's release

Martin Lyall was deemed unfit to stand trial after he killed Kevan Newman and attempted to murder Bob Norcross in Henderson in 2005.

A number of changes are being developed and implemented across the country to the way victims of mental health patients are notified of their release back into the community.

The changes came after the Herald revealed last month that Martin Robert Lyall, deemed unfit to stand trial and remanded to a forensic psychiatric unit after he killed Kevan Newman and attempted to murder Bob Norcross in Henderson in 2005, had been released.

Mr Norcross nor Mr Newman's family were notified. Mr Norcross learned of Lyall's release when he saw him at his local supermarket.

A police officer that worked on the 2005 homicide case found out in similar circumstances and alerted the Newman family.

As a result of the Herald's revelations, the Government stepped in and made immediate changes to victim notification processes. Associate Health Minister Sam Lotu-Iiga asked the Ministry of Health's director and chief adviser of mental health, Dr John Crawshaw, to "review procedures as a matter of urgency".

Dr Crawshaw confirmed that since 26 May there have been two cross-agency meetings to look at improving processes around victim notification, and more are planned.

Those meetings involved representatives from the ministry, police and Corrections looking at how to tighten up the current process.

"The Ministry has reviewed its current approach and begun putting in place a number of changes," Dr Crawshaw told the Herald this week.

The changes include:

-continuing work on improving consistency across agencies in the way victim notifications are managed and coordinated.

-a greater focus on staff training - in particular a training day for DHB victim coordinators at each of the six forensic services is planned within the next two months.

- reconciliation of victims notification details continues with police and corrections. A regular reconciliation process is being planned.

- a standardised procedure for handling notifications and coordinating updates across the DHBs is being developed.

- updated guidance to DHBs on managing victim notifications has been provided. More comprehensive guidance will be provided as this is developed.