Gang fight at a Wellington School

More evidence that gang activities and violent behaviour in New Zealand's schools are getting out of control:

Source NZ Herald

"A 23-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful assembly, following a brawl in the grounds of Hutt Valley High School yesterday.

Police said a series of fights broke out shortly before 3pm after a group of three adults and six youths arrived at the school and confronted a student about a previous fight.

The school field erupted into a brawl when about 30 students went to aid their schoolmate.

About a dozen police were needed to quell the fighting and arrest the nine members of the group, who the school's principal said were wearing gang colours.

All nine were charged with unlawful assembly."

Comments:

The incident was also reported by the Dominion Post who omitted to mention that the invasion had been carried out by patched gang members, merely calling them "a group".

One of the 2,000 students at the school has published a video of the incident, believed to have been started by gang called the "Wax Assassins", on YouTube

"Hutt Valley High School BLOODS Vs HVHS"

( link youtube.com/watch?v=ni-0niLt_74 )

The "Wax Assassins" are a youth gang from Wainuiomata with links to the Mongrel Mob

Human Rights Abuses at the school

An article on the Asia Pacific Forum.net website recently highlighted human rights abuses and bullying at the school, whereby boys were dragged onto the school field and violated by their classmates.

Concerned parents reported the incident to the Human Rights Commissioner and calls were made for a national enquiry into pupil safety and school violence:

"The Human Rights Commission is to investigate schools' anti-bullying policies to see whether children's rights to safety are being protected.

The move follows calls for a national inquiry by parents of bullying victims at Hutt Valley High School. The investigation is linked to a study by the children's commissioner into pupil safety and school violence.

Chief Human Rights Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan agreed to analyse children's human rights concerns after meeting Hutt Valley parents. Her report will focus on "the right to safety and security of the person, the right to education and the rights of victims".

It will consider how human rights are addressed by schools' anti-bullying policies and make recommendations in situations in which policies are not protecting children.

The Government unveiled anti-bullying initiatives this year after a spate of school violence.

Documents issued under the Official Information Act show Education Minister Chris Carter called for urgent action amid fears that schools were not treating bullying as a priority.

Last December nine Hutt Valley High School boys were dragged to the ground and violated by a pack of six classmates.

The victims' parents wrote to the Human Rights Commission alleging a "systematic failure" by state agencies responsible for protecting children. They asked for a national inquiry into violence and human rights abuses in schools.

The commission has agreed to assist Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro's school safety investigation, which is due to be issued in February.

The Hutt Valley parents' spokesman welcomed the investigations, saying playground violence was "a much broader issue than one school ... We're talking about child abuse".

Wanganui Man Was Murdered for Wearing the Wrong Colour

Now it seems that innocent members of the public have to take care over how they dress in New Zealand's gang town strongholds.

Perhaps Lonely Planet should amend their information, so that visitors know how to dress?

Wanganui has a severe problem with gangs and this unprovoked murder does nothing to dispel its bad image. The Herald has already published its own "A Rough Guide to Wanganui's Gangs" (see below)

Source NZ Herald
"A man may have been murdered in Wanganui because he was wearing the wrong colour clothing, a District Court Judge has said.

Paul Shane Kumeroa, 29, died on September 25 after being left bashed and bleeding on Cross St in Castlecliff two days earlier.

Five people, three men and two women who all have interim name suppression, have been charged with his murder.

The three male accused, aged 34, 22, and 17, reappeared in Wanganui District Court on Friday.

Judge Peter Butler said during the hearing the three men and their families were Black Power affiliates or associates, but Mr Kumeroa was not a member of any gang.

"Unfortunately, the victim was wearing clothes that were the wrong colour that night and they associated him with the rival gang."

Gang tensions were "high" in Wanganui right now because the trial for the men accused of killing toddler Jhia Te Tua was still under way in Wellington, Judge Butler said.

He was concerned the killing had been a possible "tit for tat" between rival gangs.

Judge Butler released the 17 - year-old on bail with a 24 hour curfew and remanded the other two are in custody until their next court appearance on December 10.

The two women, aged 22 and 19, charged over the killing will appear in court on December 8."

A Rough Guide to Wanganui's Gangs

by Paul Harper, NZ Herald

"Mongrel Mob

The Mongrel Mob has been active in New Zealand since the 1960s, with its members predominantly from Maori and Pacific communities. The gang is involved in drug dealing, armed robberies, assaults and theft. Patched Mongrel Mob members were responsible for the killing of 2-year-old Jhia Te Tua on May 5 last year. Te Tua's father was a member of the Mongrel Mob's main rival, Black Power.

Black Power

Unlike the Mongrel Mob, which recruits members regardless of their ethnicity, Black Power is a Maori organisation. Formed in the early 1970s, the gang has sought credibility as a political civil rights movement but this has not reduced criminal activity. Rifts are said to have emerged within the gang between older members and more recent recruits who are dealing in hard drugs, such as P.

Hell's Angels

Harley Davidsons are the bike of choice for international motorcycle gang Hell's Angels, who have been active in New Zealand since the early 1960s. The gang is involved in organised crime such as money laundering and drug manufacturing and dealing. Police believe the gang is now co-operating with other gangs in the production and selling of methamphetamines.

Tribesmen

The new gang on the block in Wanganui, police say they have seen an increased presence from the gang since they launched a crackdown on the Mongrel Mob following Jhia's death. Operating across the North Island, members have been convicted of everything from methamphetamine manufacture to murder."

Enough is Enough

Source: ODT, 27 Jun2 2008

"Thousands of Hawke's Bay residents fed up with gang violence marched from Flaxmere to central Hastings today bearing a banner declaring "Enough is Enough".

They banded together in response to a recent spate of violent home invasions and vicious unprovoked attacks in the area, which have been blamed on youth gangs and the Mongrel Mob.

Hastings district councillor Henare O'Keefe organised the 8km hikoi after masked men wearing red bandannas attacked his daughter's 21-year-old partner and forced their way into her home calling out "where's your missus?"

She was forced to hide her eight-week-old baby before confronting the men, who then left, apparently because she was not the person they were seeking, Mr O'Keefe told NZPA.

The turnout for the march was sensational, with people from all walks of life taking part, he said.

"Every class was represented on that hikoi. The fact that they turned up like that speaks volumes.

"If you saw this community today marching down the street and you were a perpetrator of crime, you would have to take notice."

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule, who spoke during the hikoi, said people were sick of gang violence and the day offered them a chance to express their frustration.

"I've certainly had enough of it and I gave a very strong message to the gangs that they need to behave themselves because people are not going to tolerate the sort of violence we have seen in the past four weeks. It's against innocent people and it's unprovoked," he told NZPA....."

Karen Aim Trial

Security guard says teen defendant showed him bloody bat
Source: NZHerald 3 Sept, 2008

"The teenager accused of murdering Scottish tourist Karen Aim allegedly hid the baseball bat he used to kill her under his house and then showed the bloodstained, dented object to a man he knew.

Leigh Herewini, a 34-year-old security guard, said he felt "uncomfortable" when he saw the bat because "it could've been the bat that hurt the girl".

Mr Herewini was testifying at the second day of a depositions hearing at the Taupo Youth Court yesterday.

The accused, who was 14 when he allegedly murdered Ms Aim in January, stared at Mr Herewini while he gave evidence.

But Mr Herewini avoided his gaze and told the court the accused had shown him the baseball bat when he had gone to his house about two or three days after Ms Aim was killed.

"It had a lot of dents and bitsmissing off it," Mr Herewini said. "It looked like it had blood on it."

He said the accused had called him on the day Ms Aim was killed and told him he knew who was responsible for the murder.

"He said it was a guy Bryan, a Mongrel Mob prospect from Rotorua."