A man who killed a 15-year-old Wellington schoolgirl when he was 18 has been denied parole.
Nicholas Hawker stabbed Vanessa Woodman 32 times in the grounds of Wellington's Onslow College on February 13, 1997.
He appeared before the Parole Board for the first time on February 9 but
was denied release, the Dominion Post reported.
Hawker's crime was "grave" and there was a chance he might reoffend if released, the board said in its decision.
"Without a full understanding of the magnitude of that offending, its awful consequences for all who suffered from it, and the extent to which it will not be tolerated, and without taking wholly convincing steps (to prevent) any repetition, there is good reason to fear it might happen again."
The report said Hawker was sorry for what he did, and accepted it was "heinous".
A judge on the Parole Board described as "extraordinary" the fact that Hawker had been rejected for a prison violence prevention course because the murder was his first offence.
The course is run by the Corrections Department and designed for men who have committed serious violent offences. It aims to help prisoners avoid violent re-offending.
Corrections Department psychological service director David Riley told the board Hawker was evaluated as having a "low-medium" risk of reoffending. The unit was, therefore, not the most suitable place for him.
"The offender has, however, undertaken considerable treatment at separate times throughout his prison sentence. This has included a rehabilitation programme and other courses, and, recently, individual treatment with a psychologist," Mr Riley said.
Miss Woodman's mother, Leigh, told the Dominion Post the family was pleased with the decision not to release Hawker.
"Obviously we are pleased, but it's tempered with the knowledge that in 10 months' time we'll be back before the Parole Board again, trying to make sure he's not released," she said.
"He made a choice, and that was to kill a 15-year-old child. He should pay for what he did."
Hawker's mother, Anne, said she continued to support her son.
- NZPA
