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Archived Press Releases 2004 3rd February 2004

See below; Press Release from the victim's family

Government blamed as Child Killer Breaches Parole

(3rd February 2004)

A Hawke's Bay man convicted of bashing a 7-year-old child to death is back in custody and due to face charges on Tuesday of breaching his parole conditions, and the Sensible Sentencing Trust says the blame lies fairly and squarely with Government policy.

Anthony Roma was convicted in 1991 for the brutal Murder of Simon Reaney while he lay sleeping in his parent's home in Napier. He also tried to kill Simon's brother and father. Roma was released on parole last year despite compelling opposition from Mr and Mrs Reaney.

The National spokesman for the Sensible Sentencing Trust said the Trust had received information that Tony Roma was arrested for masturbating in front of a group of young people in a shopping mall in Manakau, and that Roma had also made indecent advances to a young female.

When Roma was granted parole the Board said that IF he lived with his family, IF he stayed off alcohol and IF he stayed drug free, they considered him to be a low risk. Mr. McVicar said the Sensible Sentencing Trust was adamantly apposed to Roma's parole, it was never a matter of IF he re-offended, only a matter of when.

It is our understanding that Roma was in breach of all the above conditions, we believe that Roma was on drugs virtually from the time he received parole.

We are not blaming the Parole Board or those monitoring Roma, they do the best they can in very difficult circumstances. Past and present Governments have introduced legislation that is simply about reducing the prison population, no matter how many victims, how many offences or how hideous the crime. Repeat offenders are continually recycled by our "Bulk Discount" Criminal Justice system.

The Government is only paying lip service to "Victims Rights" while they are in fact playing "Russian Roulette" with real people and creating real victims said Mr McVicar.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust will be writing to all MP's and personally approaching MP Russell Fairbrother, who defended Roma at his 1991 murder trial. We want to enlist cross party support to convince Government to act with urgency to introduce a true "Life means Life" sentence for anyone convicted of pre-meditated or aggravated murder, Mr McVicar said.

With the ever-escalating violent crime and horrific re-offending figures it is time the Government acted on the wishes of the 92% who voted to get tough on crime.

If the Government had listened to the people they would not be facing a $5 million "Breach of Parole" lawsuit from a family member of the RSA killings. Bell was also on parole when he murdered three people at the Panmure RSA.

Parole should not be an option for criminals like Bell and Roma, said Mr McVicar.

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.

Mother sickened as killer breaches parole

Statement from Belinda Reaney via family friend Wendy Pedler.

Parole should be and must be abolished for the sake and safety of all New Zealanders. Says mother after her child's killer breaches parole.

"If a life sentence meant a true-life sentence without parole we would not have to be going through this yet again". Said Mrs Reaney speaking for the first time since her son was brutally murdered while asleep in the family home in 1991.

It is time MPs opened their eyes and actually saw the devastation that crime causes. They can change the laws overnight when vicious dogs attack people.

Why can't they do that when vicious people attack innocent people?

The mother of 7-year-old Simon Reaney is sickened to learn of the reoffending of her son's killer.

She says once again we have to relive the horror of what happened to us 12 years ago. Roma continues to haunt us and destroy our ability to move on.

We faced every Parole hearing in the hope that what we had to say would be listened to and would make a difference to their decision. We tried desperately for him not to be released. We asked for a guarantee that he was safe to be let out. They said they could not give us that, but assured us that Roma was a reformed and rehabilitated man.

I argued that of course he would be whilst in confinement and it would be impossible to predict and control his behaviour when he was out in society.

When the Probation Service phoned me to say that he had reoffended. I was sickened. They would not tell me what he had done. I was left feeling that another family could be going through what we did.

I am disgusted at the effort and energy that has been wasted on his rehabilitation. He was given another chance and to have reoffended within six months is appalling.

I feel betrayed by this system as it allowed the possibility of our tragedy happening to another family. Roma should have never been released and should never be given another opportunity to prey on innocent people in our communities ever again.

Belinda Reaney