Victims neglected by Govt’s soft on crime agenda

The New Zealand National Party

Responses to the 2019 Strengthening the Criminal Justice System for Victims survey shows victims feel failed by this Government’s soft on crime attitude, National Spokesperson for Justice Mark Mitchell says.

“The survey collected victims’ feedback on the criminal justice system with disappointing results, revealing they feel unsafe and unheard.

“83 per cent of the 620 respondents disagreed that the criminal justice system was safe for victims and 77 per cent disagreed their views had been listened to.

“279 working groups later and unsurprisingly this Government is still all talk and no action. After pledging to reduce the prison population by a third, there is still no plan to reduce crime and nothing on the Justice Summit’s agenda suggested this was a focus.

“The only plan this Government does have is to let people out of prison to meet a political target. They’ll do this by softening our bail, parole and sentencing laws to make it easier for criminals to get out of prison early, and harder for them to be sent there in the first place.

“That will make our communities less safe. National will strongly oppose any changes that will weaken our sentencing, bail or parole laws.

“There has been very little meaningful justice sector reform from this Government; the only substantial bills brought to Parliament have been the work of the previous National-led Government.

“National is a party that is tough on crime and puts victims at the heart of our criminal justice system.”

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