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Offender Database Peter McCormack

Peter Bernard McCormack

Alias

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Offences

Bashed his sister's 5 month old baby to death in June 1988 in Matamata .
When the mother returned home form her honeymoon in Australia, (her second marriage), the baby's corpse was so badly damaged that she wasn't allowed to see it.

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

none

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

unknown

Current Location

At large

Parole/Release Dates

Detained as a special patient as found insane
Since been released into the community

Background
From a Sunday Star Times article 11/02/1996
A MENTAL patient who believed he was possessed by the devil when he bashed his infant niece to death is to be released into the community, despite pleas from the girl's mother that he stay locked up. Peter Bernard McCormack has been detained as a special patient since he was acquitted on the grounds of insanity of murdering five- month-old Matamata girl Madeline Mary Bates in June 1988. The girl's mother has been told McCormack will be discharged from Tokanui Hospital in the Waikato within a few weeks. The woman, who remarried recently and has a new surname, will only be called "Jan" out of fear her brother will track her down. She no longer lives in Matamata and her married name has been kept secret from McCormack.Jan was honeymooning in Australia with a former husband when McCormack attacked young Madeline. The girl and Jan's other children were staying with Jan's parents. She said she would never have left her children in the same house with McCormack if she had realised how serious his condition was.

During the trial, the judge suppressed all evidence relating to the way the girl was killed, saying it was of "a nature which would increase the distress of the family involved. The jury of eight women and four men took only eight minutes to reach its verdict. During the trial it heard how McCormack thought he was possessed by the devil when he killed Madeline. The judge ordered that McCormack be held as a special patient, which meant he could be released from a mental hospital only on the recommendation of two doctors and the endorsement of the director of mental health. Health Minister Jenny Shipley said yesterday that patients were not released if they were still considered a risk to society. McCormack is no longer assessed as a special patient and has been released into the community for small spells in recent years. Jan met Health Waikato officials two months ago to discuss her brother's future. She did not want him released and had urged Health Waikato to overturn its decision, but to no avail.

"They told me he's been out before. We didn't know about it. I've been told he went missing for 2 days four or five months ago," she said. "We've told the hospital we're not happy he's going to be released. As far as I'm concerned he's a time bomb. "He beat my daughter to death. She was an innocent baby. My eldest son was 11 then. He witnessed the beating. For years the kids have had nightmares. They've slept with knives under their pillows. "I want him kept behind a secure door and they should never let him out. But there's nothing I can do about it. The authorities aren't worried about my opinion or the loss I've had to take. "Health Waikato spokeswoman Rosie Flay would not talk about McCormack because of the Privacy Act.

But she said patients were not discharged into the community if it was thought they would be a risk. Support was organised for them which could include family members. However, she said it was the patient's welfare which the hospital was primarily concerned with, even if family members were upset.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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