Criminals deported under tougher tribunal rulings

By ANGELA GREGORY

Two young Samoan criminals have lost their appeals against deportation because of the seriousness of their offending.

The decisions reflect the public's hardening attitude to violent crime and high expectations of immigrant behaviour, says the Deportation Review Tribunal.

It dismissed appeals by a man jailed for raping a young girl and another for attacking a man who was left half-blind.

Concerns were raised in the media nearly two months ago about the tribunal's findings in favour of convicted criminals, with Immigration Minister Paul Swain expressing disquiet at some rulings.

In four years the tribunal upheld appeals by 13 convicted criminals, including an arsonist and a cocaine importer.

In decisions released yesterday the tribunal said it was not unduly harsh for the men to be sent back to Samoa even though members of their immediate families lived in New Zealand.

Faamanatuga Seumanutafa, also known as Junior Schuster, was issued with a deportation notice after his conviction for sex offences and sentencing to nine years in jail, of which he has served about five years.

He had been found guilty of raping a girl aged 11 and again at age 12. He was also convicted of indecently assaulting a 10-year-old girl.

Aggravating features included the fact that he had put them through court trials, showed no remorse and left them both with genital infections.

Seumanutafa, 25, argued that the order should be overturned because most of his family lived in New Zealand and he had the support of churchgoers.

But the tribunal found few compelling grounds in favour of his case.

Chairwoman Robyn von Keisenberg said his crimes were very serious, and she pointed out he had family in Samoa.

There was doubt over whether Seumanutafa accepted full responsibility for the offending against one victim and he posed a low to moderate risk of reoffending.

Von Keisenberg said there was a strong public interest factor to the case given that New Zealanders' attitudes to crimes of violence had hardened and high standards for recently arrived residents were required.

Similarly the tribunal found against Peter Crichton, 23, who had been sentenced to six years in jail for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Crichton and three others had beaten up a man with weapons including sticks and broken beer bottles. The victim was left bleeding and unconscious. He remains blind in one eye and is facially disfigured.

Von Keisenberg again noted that the public interest factor was high in that it involved a crime of serious violence.

"Society has an expectation that high standards must be met by recent immigrants to New Zealand."

The tribunal said that while Crichton's mother would experience emotional hardship as a result of his deportation, it was not unjust or unduly harsh when weighed against the gravity of his offending.

OUT THEY GO

Faamanatuga Seumanutafa, also known as Junior Schuster, was convicted of raping a girl when she was 11 and again when she was 12. He was also convicted of indecent assault on a 10-year-old girl.

Peter Crichton was convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after he and three others beat up a man with sticks and broken beer bottles, leaving him facially disfigured and blind in one eye.