Bay of Plenty times

2022 - 9 - 6

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Image courtesy of "New Zealand Herald"

Teen sentenced to nine months' home detention after raping four girls (New Zealand Herald)

One of Jayden Meyer's victims says she has lost her sense of self-worth since the rape.

"It was very brave of these young women to put themselves forward to go through a court case. Tohill also pointed to the varying levels of consent education provided across different regions. It will take a substantial amount of time to get back in the black." The Judge's sentencing decision details how that victim, who was a virgin, "protested to no avail". [Mosaic](https://www.healthpoint.co.nz/social-services/sexual-harm/mosaic/at/94-riddiford-street-newtown-wellington/) - Tiaki Tangata Peer support for males who have experienced trauma and sexual abuse: 0800 94 22 94 Judge Claire Ryan handed down the sentence after hearing expert advice that sending the teen to prison would allow him to learn from more experienced sexual offenders. In one instance the sex was initially consensual but Meyer raped the girl when she refused to be with him for a second time that night. There were five young female victims, four of whom were raped and one who was sexually violated. "One of the major things I think that is likely to influence young people is that they haven't had the access to consent-based education that they usually have," she said, referring to schooling disruptions over the pandemic. The father of one of the girls spoke of the "raw indescribable pain" the offending brought to his family. The mother of one of the girls described the previous 16 months as the most difficult she had ever faced and how she was now living in a "shattered world". A teenager convicted of raping four girls under the age of 16 has been sentenced to nine months' home detention - despite a judge acknowledging the consequence would ordinarily be a prison sentence of "many years".

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Image courtesy of "New Zealand Herald"

Wheelchair rugby team left scrambling for rides after crash (New Zealand Herald)

Two "wheelies" players, Amanda Lowry and Sam Fitness, and Fitness' support worker, were in the back of the van when it collided with another vehicle at the ...

On Saturday we played the Auckland team, then took a wee break, and were on our way back to the venue to play Waikato when the crash happened," Lowry said. "Sam was left with a bloodied nose and I got a big cut on my head after it connected with the side of the wheelchair hoist," she told the Bay of Plenty Times. The modified van was carrying members of the Bay of Plenty Steamrollers team in the back, and in the front passenger seat was one of the team's support workers.

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Image courtesy of "Stuff.co.nz"

'No justice. Disgusting': Friend of teenage girls who were raped ... (Stuff.co.nz)

A friend of four girls who were raped when they were 15 is organising a peaceful protest against the sentence the offender received of nine months home ...

“In court, when I was speaking, I looked him in the eye and he started to cry,” said McNeil. Issues are as hot as the weather in this beautiful region - we've got a lot to talk about. “Afterwards, when I left court, his mother was speaking to me, saying she was a ‘lioness’ and would protect him. You can get judged as a guy, so I hesitated at first, but then thought about what the girls have been through. The stretched housing market is seeing $1000-a-week rentals now a regular occurance. It’s insulting, when you can be sent to prison for poaching fish but not for raping women.”

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Image courtesy of "New Zealand Herald"

'Hallelujah moment': $84m upgrade planned for Tauranga's waterfront (New Zealand Herald)

At a meeting on Monday, Tauranga City Council commissioners adopted the Tauranga Moana Waterfront Plan. The master plan includes The Strand carpark becoming an ...

They are going for half a day's trip - where are they going to park? All they want to do is come down, see Hairy Maclary, walk around the waterfront and go down to Bobby's for some fish and chips. But to get rid of about 100 car parks and not replace it somewhere else is ridiculous." People would obviously be sad to lose it. It would be nice, but where would everyone park? The other $40.4m is budgeted as part of the wider civic development and will be funded through the long term plan. Tourists come to town and they don't want to go by bus downtown. "I think parking is a problem. They are not going to catch a bus or get in a taxi." that's what it resembles at times." Wasley said it was also important that the entrance to the CBD from Dive Crescent was being improved as it had been "extremely average" for the 30-plus years he had been in the city. An additional estimate of $16.5m for a wharf in front of the Cargo Shed and The Strand South Reserve had yet to be budgeted for, as the projects had not been costed.

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