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Home / New Zealand

Whanganui owner mystified by graffiti attack

Liz Wylie
By Liz Wylie
Multimedia Journalist, Whanganui Chronicle·Whanganui Chronicle·
14 Jul, 2017 10:13 PM3 mins to read

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Hate crime - House, car and fence have been painted with swastikas and racist messages on Campbell St

Taggers who defaced a Whanganui property have left the owner shocked and bewildered as to why her home was targeted.

Enaj Lee discovered hateful slogans spray-painted on her house, car and fence on Friday morning and says she is mystified as to who might have a grudge against her family.

"We moved here from Los Angeles 13 years ago and we have never encountered racism in Whanganui."

Ms Lee says she is a Korean American and her former husband, who she is on good terms with, is Jewish American.

"The swastikas are extremely offensive to him," said Ms Lee.

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As well as swastikas on the fence and front door, there was a picture of male genitalia sprayed on the side of the house along with the words "Racist Family".

The family car was emblazoned with the words "Bad Mom" and "Bad Car".

"I just don't get it," says the mother of three.

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"My kids say they don't know of anyone who might have a grudge against us and none of them have pissed anyone off."

Ms Lee said none of the family heard anything on Thursday night and their dog did not bark.

"It has been really windy, so if there was noise we probably just put it down to that."

She called 111 when she discovered the graffiti and says she was informed that the vandalism would be logged as a burglary.

A police spokesperson said the crime was coded as a burglary due to "the offenders entering the property without authority".

The 1961 Crimes Act defines a burglary as the prohibited entry of any building including any enclosed yard.

Ms Lee said the intruders left beer bottles on the front lawn but police said recent rain would have washed away evidence.

The crime has occurred just as the New Zealand Human Rights Commission has reported on the first nationwide anti-racism campaign which began a year ago

"So far we have reached 4.2 million people and engaged with 2.1 million," says Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy.

"Racial intolerance and attacks are on the rise globally.

"Encouraging Kiwis to treat each other with respect isn't about being PC, it's about giving others a fair go."

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The commission has now launched the Give Nothing to Racism campaign which features well known Kiwis like New Zealander of the Year Taika Waititi making tongue-in-cheek but hard hitting comments about racism.

Ms Lee and her family have now removed the offensive graffiti from their house and car.

Whanganui District Council staff have said their anti-graffiti team will remove the tagging from the front fence.

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