Killer agrees he's not ready for release

STAYING PUT: Convicted murderer Raymond Ratima, 47, will stay in prison. PHOTO/FILE

He killed seven members of his family and has gone through nine parole hearings but Raymond Ratima isn't ready to be released from prison, both he and the New Zealand Parole Board agree.

In June, 1992, the now 47-year-old killed his three young sons, his pregnant sister-in-law, her partner, their son and his teenage brother-in-law and then lay in wait for his wife and her parents to return home, seriously injuring his father-in-law. He was convicted of attempting to murder him. Three months later he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the multiple murders and attempting murder.

Ratima appeared before the Parole Board on November 3, for his ninth parole hearing . He has also had his parole hearings postponed three times since 2002.

Although Ratima had undergone treatment and 22 years had lapsed since the terrible events of that fateful night, Ratima was still not able to talk about what he had done, the parole board decision released to the Times-Age states.

He has been undergoing one-on-one weekly counselling since April 2013 and with a psychologist since February "building trust".

Ratima is also about to undergo treatment for a serious medical condition.

In spite of his not being able to talk about the events of that night in Masterton 22 years ago, Ratima has been allowed out on release several times, raising concern for the board as he was "nowhere near completing rehabilitation".

"Given that, we do not support any move to Release to Work or more unrestricted release into the community in the foreseeable future," the board said in the decision.

Ratima was denied parole, which he accepted as he didn't apply for it, and is due back before the board next year.