Brother wants sister's killer to get on with his life

The brother of a woman brutally raped and then bludgeoned to death says he wants her killer to get a job and connect with his culture, calling groups such as the Sensible Sentencing Trust "pernicious".

Jim Burdett's sister Susan was raped and murdered in 1992 by Teina Pora, a Mongrel Mob prospect, who told police he held her down while two senior mob members raped and bludgeoned her to death.

He is to appear before the Parole Board today.

Pora had two trials, one in 1994 in which he was found guilty of aggravated robbery, rape and murder. His convictions were later overturned by the Appeal Court, which ruled there was little to establish that his videotaped confessions to police were genuine.

He was convicted again at a second trial in April 2000.

Serial rapist Malcolm Rewa was convicted in 1998 of Ms Burdett's rape after his semen linked him with the crime.

Pora was sentenced to 12 years for raping Ms Burdett, 10 years for aggravated robbery and, after grappling with a change in sentencing laws involving home invasions, the Appeal Court ruled he should serve a life sentence of 10 years for her murder.

Ms Burdett's brother was not aware a parole hearing had been set down for today, after being adjourned earlier in the year, but he said he had let go of his anger and wanted to move on.

He would never forget his sister's murder and said he would contact the Parole Board to find out the outcome, but he hoped Pora would become a functioning citizen.

"It will be great if he gets parole and went out there and got a job and connected with his culture and got on with his life."

Mr Burdett says he let go of his anger one day driving past the cemetery where his sister's body lies.

"I just realised I was holding on to it. It's a bit like picking up something hot and burning your hand and you're so angry you won't let it go."

He said people needed to start looking at why offenders committed the crimes, rather than subscribing to a "lock them up and throw away the key" mentality.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust, which campaigns for tougher sentences, was a "pernicious" group which had never done anything to address the social issues behind offending.

The idea of parole was the consideration that a person had paid their debt to society and had reached the stage of rehabilitation where they could go out and rejoin society, he said.

"How would I know if he is ready to do that or not? You lock somebody up after they have committed the crime but it doesn't actually deal with the social problems behind the offending.

"I am opposed to people in the Sensible Sentencing Trust. I think there is no merit in vindictiveness or revenge."

Sensible Sentencing spokesman Garth McVicar said he sympathised with the family's position but people had choices to make and Pora had made bad choices.