Gang out to protect its image

Black Power president Mark Pitman denies two men charged with child abuse are gang members. Picture / Kenny Rodger

Black Power members were so keen to distance themselves from the abuse inflicted on a 2-year-old boy that they asked police holding two men charged with the crime if they could have their gang regalia back.

One of the men, Harley Mac Wharewera, 19, has begun a 10-year jail term for beating the boy daily for seven weeks.

His acts of cruelty included forcing him to eat dog faeces dipped in tomato sauce.

While police have no doubt the offenders have strong ties to the gang, Black Power president Mark Pitman contacted the Herald to say that Wharewera and his associate Kane Jeremy Tawa, 23, were nothing to do with it.

Mr Pitman said other gang leaders were furious Black Power was being implicated in the case. Certain behaviour was unacceptable to members, he said.

"In our national rules we don't condone any child abuse," he said.

However, Detective Jon McKenzie, of Whakatane police, said it was "utter bull" to suggest that Wharewera and Tawa were not affiliated to the gang.

"Those guys are clearly and strongly affiliated with the Mangu Kaha chapter of Black Power."

He said a pair of "senior Black Power" members had walked into the station this week and asked him to strip the two charged of the crime of all gang regalia. "They asked for their colours back."

Mr McKenzie said he obliged because it was a property ownership issue. "If a policeman loses his job he has to hand in his uniform."

The regalia included patched T-shirts sporting the gang's logo.

Mr McKenzie said the T-shirts were an integral part of the gang's regalia, and not just anybody could decide they wanted to wear it.

"If you came to my town and wore that [without authorisation], you'd get the bash," he said.

"If [Mr Pitman] wants to contact me directly I'll give him the names of the people who came in and saw me."

Mr Pitman suggested that police were making the incident up.

Mr McKenzie said the gang was trying to distance itself from a case in which its "culture of violence" had played an undeniable part.

"The behaviour that those two offenders inflicted on that little boy was learned behaviour from involvement in the gang," Mr McKenzie said. "Until New Zealand society is ... prepared to deal with the gang issue in a serious way, we'll continue to have these kind of incidents."

Judge Peter Rollo, in sentencing Wharewera on Wednesday, said there was "an element of gang culture" in slamming, tackling, whipping, kicking and humiliation of the boy.

Mr McKenzie said the case had affected him more severely than any other in his 17 years in the police force.

"Standing and looking at what was done to that little boy would break any person's heart."