NEWSPAPERS are frequently asked about the outcome of a particular crime, especially if we made a deal of it on the front page.
Crimes are at their most dramatic, at their most heartfelt, when reported soon after they've happened. Before the court process starts, a lot of detail and drama, and the heartache that goes with it, can be reported.
Which is why the public can feel a bit robbed when a person is finally arrested and starts the court process, because a lot of the time, the reportage can tail off. Often it is only the court stories of national interest, usually involving death, that have the staying power with the media. And that's because the timetable of the justice system is usually too long to sustain attention.
An example, without naming names, is a brutal assault in Masterton in January 2015, which was reported on and followed by the Wairarapa Times-Age, up to an arrest.
We recently checked in with the courts on where this case was. A year and a half later, the accused has yet to make a plea before a judge on this assault. It is entirely possible that he's committed other crimes in the meantime and been processed for those, perhaps even served a sentence. But this one, which could be difficult to prove, is a situation where the defendant can play the system for months.
One would even wonder, if he ultimately was to be sentenced for the crime, whether it would even have much relevance in his mind as a punishment, given the time gone.
In a democratic country, justice needs to be seen -- but we aren't seeing it. The media represent the public in attending court to see punishments dispensed to criminals and open justice for victims. But we simply lose track of them, especially if they decide they'd like a jury trial. What we have been grateful for is the determination of victims and their families to see criminals in the paper, by letting us know when an appearance is coming up. While we'd like to say we're all-seeing, the reality is we're not, and public tipoffs are a backstop in getting stories.
If you believe a person should be exposed in the media for what they've done, give us a call to find out if we're following it in court. The law catches up with people eventually, and we'd like to as well.