David Tamihere could have given his victims' families closure by revealing Heidi Paakkonen's body, a key witness in the case says.

David Tamihere will not have to reveal where Heidi Paakkonen's body is hidden when he is freed.

David Tamihere, who was convicted of the murder of two Swedish backpackers, has been granted parole after serving nearly 20 years in prison and will be released on November 15.

The man who bashed James Whakaruru repeatedly until he died, aged 4, will spend Christmas a free man - despite fears he will reoffend.

Double murderer David Tamihere made his 14th appearance before the parole board today. But what was the decision?

One of NZ's most notorious killers allegedly raped and abducted a girl, 14, in a previously unreported case before going on to commit murder.

The Parole Board has had to apologise to convicted paedophile Graham Capill and his victims after it botched up details in a written decision denying him parole.

The rapist of a 75-year-old woman has walked into a police station waving an axe and begging to be sent back to jail.

A man who is now a marriage guidance counsellor threw his wife into a door frame, splitting her head open, then dragged her down the hall.

The Parole Board believes former Christian Heritage Party Leader Graham Capill is still a risk to the community.

The Parole Board held 4546 hearings last year and declined to release offenders in 70.6 pc, the board says in its annual report, released today.

Victims of Saturday's earthquake share their stories of survival.

The savage bashing and stomping of a 16-yr-old in Christchurch was recorded on a mobile so the video could be put on the net, a court hears.