WTF? Suicide accomplice gets into slammer for 14 years

[Street Gerbil]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10612334
Assisting one take his own life is apparently a worse crime than murder.
WTF is wrong with New Zealand? The kid should have told the court that he killed his friend because he broke his Wii and would have got 2 years of probation.

[XRVrider]

Shit, if you have 2 little kids, maybe called something like the KAHUI TWINS... and you kill them cos you like to bash things... and you are the race that has "cultural sensitivities" to take into consideration, you wont even get convicted. That one was a double murder. No-one did it though huh... go figure.

[mashman]

They're charging a kid with MURDER and yet the police don't really care about the other kids involved EH!

[Subike]

I know this is going to be trashed and I expect lots of negativeness from it but!

14 years, good, about time an example is set.
Now when kids think its some sort of game to play with anothers life they may stop and think.
fuck I can and will get jail for this.
We need more sentances like this to install fear thus respect of the law into a generstion that does not give a fuck about the rules.
So one family loses its son, tuff, they should have taught him better. And dont give may any crap about the rights of the kid, he made a bad choice to help , with the wrong type of help.
Think of your own responce if it was your own son/daughter/brother/sister/mother /father.
would you be forgiving, knowing a friend had helped them die intead of helping them live?
14 years!
Good , I hope it opens some kids eyes that life is not a computor game with a reset button. Its life

[The Pastor]

he hasnt been charged, 14 years is the max sentance

[avgas]

But I actually agree with Subike here. We are talking suicide - this can be done at home with no ones involvement. Fact of the matter was he was too much of a pussy to do it himself, the 17y/o wasn't too much of a pussy to kill someone. They found a compromise and now the 17y/o is looking at jail time for murder.

This is a case where the system works. The black and white of the law in action. A waste of 2 lives - but a lesson has been learnt.

Did the 17 y/o have a choice?
Were his actions justified?
He has been proven guilty - and will have to live with this. Jail time will just prove to him that it was a bad thing. We all make bad decisions - but some of us don't front up to the consequences. Like the father said - EVERYONE needed to front up to it. Not just his son.

[marty]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10612334
Assisting one take his own life is apparently a worse crime than murder.
WTF is wrong with New Zealand? The kid should have told the court that he killed his friend because he broke his Wii and would have got 2 years of probation.

read the article properly you numpty.

[kwaka_crasher]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10612334
Assisting one take his own life is apparently a worse crime than murder.
WTF is wrong with New Zealand? The kid should have told the court that he killed his friend because he broke his Wii and would have got 2 years of probation.

This particular gerbil has clearly been spending far too much time up an arse.

[Nasty]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10612334
Assisting one take his own life is apparently a worse crime than murder.
WTF is wrong with New Zealand? The kid should have told the court that he killed his friend because he broke his Wii and would have got 2 years of probation.

and the maximum sentance for murder is ....

The article says that the maximum he can receive is 14 years ... it does not say that he is going to do 14 years.

I agree with Subike ... there needs to be a deterent for these crimes ... and it is a crime. At 16/17 everything can look bad with no real way forward. This kid who was helped has attempted and failed suicide before. In fact, most suicide attempts fail.

It is highly unlikely on previous precedents set that this kid will get 14 years. It is more likely he will get less than two - and those will also be non-custodial ... will be interesting to see where this goes.

[The Pastor]

Probably get home detention as a large part of the sentence, with allowance to go to school.

[Juzz976]

So why would you help someone you've only known a few days kill themselves? - maybe you enjoy taking lives

Is he likely to repeat offend? - My opinion is YES.

So what happens, probably release on bail, figure lifes fucked for now and might aswell offend again and serve concurrent slap on the hand sentences.

[EJK]

I don't quite get the term "helped commit suicide". Does that mean the helper counceled and persuaded the victim to commit suicide? If that's the case, then the victim could have been saved if he didn't get his help?

Wouldn't it?

Persuasion is a very powerful tool. That's how peer pressure works (as well as propaganda).

[Juzz976]

I don't quite get the term "helped commit suicide". Does that mean the helper counceled and persuaded the victim to commit suicide? If that's the case, then the victim could have been saved if he didn't get his help?

Wouldn't it?

Persuasion is a very powerful tool. That's how peer pressure works (as well as propaganda).

maybe he told him that you can't strangle yourself to death because you'll pass out before you die.

or maybe he was sick of hearing how crap the guys life was and killed him.

[Winston001]

What a sad sad story. Two dysfunctional kids. One lost hope, the other thought it was acceptable to assist the suicide. Pretty messed up all around.

[Forest]

If I lived in Christchurch, I'd probably start considering suicide as option.

[Street Gerbil]

I don't quite get the term "helped commit suicide". Does that mean the helper counceled and persuaded the victim to commit suicide? If that's the case, then the victim could have been saved if he didn't get his help?

Wouldn't it?

Persuasion is a very powerful tool. That's how peer pressure works (as well as propaganda).

I suspect "helped" means "was aware but has not reported to the 'services'".
Anyway, you people seem to miss the point. How can non-preventing suicide be punished more harshly than murder???

[Winston001]

I suspect "helped" means "was aware but has not reported to the 'services'".
Anyway, you people seem to miss the point. How can non-preventing suicide be punished more harshly than murder???

It isn't. Simply watching and doing nothing itself is not an offence. The charge is of "assisting suicide". It's rare but there have been a number of cases.

One example also in Christchurch was a young guy who fed his paralysed mate sleeping pills, then held a pillow over his face.

For an offence to occur, the person has to actively do something to help the suicide - such as throw a rope over a tree and hold it steady.

The sentence for murder is up to life imprisonment which is a lot more than 14 years.

[wbks]

It isn't. Simply watching and doing nothing itself is not an offence. The charge is of "assisting suicide". It's rare but there have been a number of cases.

One example also in Christchurch was a young guy who fed his paralysed mate sleeping pills, then held a pillow over his face.

For an offence to occur, the person has to actively do something to help the suicide - such as throw a rope over a tree and hold it steady.

The sentence for murder is up to life imprisonment which is a lot more than 14 years.c'mon, since when has someone gotten life for murder...