KEY POINTS:
A Samoan immigrant jailed for his part in a brutal road-rage attack has been allowed to stay in New Zealand so his teenage son can be treated for a life-threatening illness.
What do you think of the decision to let the road-rage father stay? Here is a selection of Your Views:
Mama Mia (Auckland)
Absolutely preposterously outrageously. Send him back to Samoa on first available flight, because we have enough homegrown criminals in New Zealand in the first place. We surely don't need to import such bad characters. And, if his son's so sick he needs treatment in New Zealand he alone can be allowed to stay here till he's cured. Since the son's probably also got relatives here they can look after him while under treatment. Because it's a sick excuse to let such a brutal criminal remain in New Zealand, where he's most likely to reoffend, as he's obviously an extremely violent person who cannot control his rages.
U can count on the Government
If you break the law you should be punished accordingly, but that's the Government for you. NZ is one volatile country, get out while you can people.
Anna
I am so sick and tired of everyone bashing the Pacific Island people for one person's mistake, he committed a crime and I do feel for his victim but there have been so many incidents of road rage but you don't see it in the paper, but all of a sudden a brown person commits a crime and then all of sudden everyone has a opinion to say. No one is perfect and yes there are always going to be bad apples but it doesn't mean everyone is the same. NZ has so many cultures living there that we shouldn't judge a whole race of people based on one person's or people's actions.
True Blue Kiwi
I wonder if Helen actually reads these "Your Views" section? If she did then she would know what the people of New Zealand are saying. This Kiwi is saying that this particular person, Samoan aside, should have never been allowed entry into the country in the first place. Why should his son be used as a pawn in his game when I cant get a specialist appointment for my child and I am a 5th generation Kiwi who pays taxes, never been in trouble with the law and is not a threat to innocent drivers.
GB
I just wish this country would start putting the well being of its honest law abiding people (and victims of crime) first. We are a soft touch. How many more times do we have to hear of rogues like this getting concessions and one more chance in our country. And now he goes to church, big deal. I think I would start praying too if I was threatened with deportation for being involved in a stabbing in a country that had given me residency on humanitarian grounds. Things like this just make me wonder what the future holds for this country. We can't turn back the clock so decisions made now will affect us all in the years to come. Let's hope the powers that be start to realise this soon.
Murray
This is outrageous. Why should a non-New Zealand citizen who commits a violent serious crime be aloud to stay in our country. He has shown no respect for the victim by doing what he has done, and should be sent home immediately, now the NZ taxpayers have to pay for his visit to jail and for his extended families medical bills, and this is how he repays us. Seems to me that New Zealand Immigration needs to take a much harder stance on foreigners who break the law in this country, especially ones who use extreme violence. When are we going to show foreigners who break our laws that in doing so you face harsh penalties, in other countries depending on the crime you can face the death penalty, the very least this country can do is to send them back where they came from, extended family as well, simply you do the crime you do the time, we need to get tough to make this country safe again!
Shocked Victim
A friend told me that this article was in the NZ Herald and I am shocked & angry to hear that he is allowed to stay in the country after what he did to us that night. You have no idea what it felt like to have your partner standing in the middle of the road while you are holding a jumper over his wounds covered in blood not knowing if he is going to live or die. I cannot believe the justice system. If he is prepared to take someone's life for no reason he should not be allowed to stay no matter what.
Lena (Auckland)
That guy George who left a comment said to send us (as Samoan people) back to their own home land and you don't need anymore of us? Okay, we'll take all the Samoans or Islanders that represent NZ to name a few: All blacks, league players, netball players, musicians, teachers, doctors, lawyers and anyone else that has made. That was racist! As for the father, his nephew needs to pay the price, the father should have set a good example and held in his anger and let it go but nooooo he did the opposite. In Samoan that is called ulu ka'e! He has to pay the price like any other person.
Tigger1
Absolutely ridiculous - that man knew what he was doing and so he's used his trump card (his son's illness) to get out of punishment. He knew before he done this horrendous act that his son was sick and this didn't even phase this man one second from the premeditated offence he knew he was going to commit. He stopped his car for his nephew to pick up a wood so how did he not know that his nephew didn't have a knife on him - Now he's going to become the good citizen and work and go to church every Sunday - until when? When he decides that he wants to beat someone else up? Urghhhhhhh!
Steve
He should be deported. As long as we are soft on these people the crime will continue to rise. How much has the taxpayer had to pay for this person being in jail? I believe all immigrants should be deported if they commit crimes. Even minor crime they should be deported if the offend more than once.
Dave (Perth)
While you have a left wing government such as Helen Clark's bunch you are going to have more of the same. Get rid of your government and this criminal thug or you will get a lot more thuggery propped up by Helen and her politically correct gang. Poor old NZ. What have they done to you?
Black or White (Wellsford)
I believe that most people leave their homelands for a better life - for themselves and their families - and most people willingly adopt the attitudes and lifestyles of their new homelands. No matter where people come from, they should all accept the rules of this land/culture - not for us to accept them first. It is a privilege for us all to be here and if you are immigrating here then everyone should be placed on a good behaviour bond for a set period of say, 10 years or a 3 strikes and you're out policy - unless it is violent, malicious and/or you take a life. It is getting too easy to come here if you're pregnant (are newborns still automatically NZ citizens?) and/or in need of continued medical assistance (ooops, forget to mention it). NZ seems to be sliding into a "fools' paradise". Yes, we are a paradise, but it's so sad we have so many fools running it! Let's call it tough love and be done with it. One way or another we must make the tough decisions. This man did and it almost cost someone's life (and his family's too!). Let's make them responsible for their actions - he didn't need to stop the car, did he?
Dan
To Mr Harold Young, a very unfortunate tragic loss to you and your family, I wouldn't wish that on anybody.
What gets me is that there are so many people who are focusing on the bad side of Pacific Island people and in this case Samoan people. It is nothing short Of racism. One or two bad Samoans don't make all Samoans bad. Get a grip. NZ, Samoans and Pacific Islanders contribute to this country just as European/Palagi people do simply because a "finger is an insult" to most people and they react? That's more human nature then anything else. In no way am I condoning the actions of the very few but in reality, there is a group of people in this country who for whatever reason don't like Pacific Island people. Ignorance! NZ is getting browner by the day. Get over it because there are bad chickens not matter what colour skin they are.
Dan
Well that's about 20-1 in favour of getting rid of him. Shame it won't happen. This is just the latest in a long line of such incidents be it using a machete, hammer, softball bat, lump of wood or bare fists and still nothing happens so why would this be any different? Surely there should be a way to turn this much public opinion into outrage. Referendum? Likely to be ignored. March down Queen Street? Who would want to turn up and be labelled "racist"? Is anyone surprised that there was so little sympathy for the power-cut woman recently? My family moved to NZ 40 years ago, if I'd done something like this I would fully deserve to be deported, even now.
Julz
I am so sick and tired of lumping one Samoan, Maori, Tongan, Niuean, etc with the rest that are trying to better their lives. Yes, what this man did was terrible, but don't include every other Pacific Island person with this one incident. I don't live in NZ anymore and I used to love coming back to NZ and seeing my family but after all this pointing finger's racial slur's - and yes, our people are guilty of it as well - not one person has not said a racial slur. I am not sure, ok deport the father, but let the children stay and 1: better themselves and 2: get the medical treatment they need. And as for the health system should be for Kiwi's only, then that would exclude everyone except the Maori, Susie. Think before you write.
Steve (Christchurch)
Make him pay all the costs then boot him out! No questions asked or sympathies given. He's done the crime - let him do the time in his own country.
Wendo
Father should go back and mother to stay to take of the family. If he wants to live in our country he should follow our laws and respect our country. That was disgusting behaviour, and some thing we don't need his children to see so they don't think this is normal behaviour.
PC Akl
90 per cent of the above commentators have mistook that it was this chap who stabbed, but it was his nephew. Even then he had a violent intention and that's the reason he stopped the car. And everyone is worrying about taxpayers' money. Well, this person in debate is also a taxpayer. I am really confused if the decision was correct or not, could be because I am an immigrant myself. As a taxpayer I am happy the money is used in a good cause to cure a sick child along with paying our taxpayers hard-earned money to someone who just doesn't wanna work. This person should really consider this as a last chance and change and his nephew should definitely be deported.
Annoyed
Wouldn't it be cheaper for the taxpayer to fly the son to NZ every three weeks for treatment rather than foot the bill on future prison attendance?
Get real
Come on people.
This guy is nothing but a thug. Haven't we got enough of our own here already? Send him packing.
Trevor
This is political correctness gone mad! With a justice system as lax as ours it is no wonder immigrants of a dubious nature a flocking to our shores.
Deb (Auckland)
No, I don't think he should stay here. As far as I'm concerned he is a violent person that doesn't no how to control himself. If he was a good human being and a loving caring father, "road rage' wouldn't even enter his head. And the fact that he has a sick boy, stop using your so called 'faith' to hide behind and think because you 'say' you are a Christian that people automatically think your a 'good' person.
Dick from the docks
Why was he allowed in in the first place? The judge ordered him deported but no notice is taken of this. To say he contributes to society is a joke - the costs for his prosecutions and jailing are already more than he will ever pay in tax. When is the law going to be changed?
Concerned kiwi
The dad can go home minus the sick child. Doesn't sound like he is the type of role model one would want anyway. The sick child at the age of 14 would surely understand that stabbing someone in a road rage incident is unnacceptable and recognise himself that is dad is due to leave.
Aucklander
I'm an immigrant that came to NZ nearly 20 years ago. I have started up 4 companies from scratch and now employ over 35 people. I think this qualifies me as a "hardworking, self-sufficient and productive "member of society". This person is just a waste of space. Why do people keep committing crimes like this? Because there is no deterrent to committing these crimes. For many of these offenders, jail time is not particularly onerous, and we all know that they can just ignore the fines and bumble through any community service. Samoa seems to be able to produce multi-millionaires through the sale of its state assets, let it look after the health of its citizens. We do not need people like this here.
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