Stuff reports some bemusing law-and-order thinking in an article headed –
She died violently in her home. Why police don’t want you to know her name
Police have moved to block Stuff from revealing the name of a highly respected mother and grandmother who was the victim of a homicide in the small Bay of Plenty community of Kawerau.
We do know the woman died at her home on the weekend of October 24-25.
According to the Stuff report, hundreds of people packed a funeral home this week to farewell her.
The woman’s adult children remembered her as “the best mum anyone could wish for… the most kind, caring, loving sweet person, she didn’t have a bad bone in her body”.
This is a strong hint that hundreds of people know the woman’s name, including the Stuff reporter, because:
This Stuff inquiries in the Kawerau and Whakatane areas found she was heavily involved in the community and highly respected.
PoO is unsure about why Stuff approached police on Tuesday afternoon to advise them it intended to name the woman.
But the cops applied to the coroner for interim orders barring publication of her name, as well as the name of a man who was involved in a collision with a train at Paengaroa – about 60km from Kawerau – shortly before her body was discovered.
The application was successful:
On Tuesday evening Coroner Bruce Hesketh granted the orders.
His written decision provided new information about the case.
Stuff has shared this information with its readers, including:
He said the woman died from injuries received in an apparent assault at her home, some time over October 24-25.
Police were alerted to the scene and discovered her body at the address at 11:26pm on October 25.
She was found in a bedroom and had suffered traumatic injuries to her head and face and police were treating it as a homicide, Hesketh said.
We further learn that police attended a separate incident at 9.04pm that night, involving a collision between a car and train on Te Puke Highway at Paengaroa.
The driver suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital.
Police at that time had yet to speak to the driver, who remained in a critical condition, and had not spoken to other potential witnesses.
But what’s suppressing the victim’s name supposed to accomplish?
Although Stuff inquiries in Kawerau had quickly enabled the reporter to identify her, and hundreds of people attended her funeral because (presumably) they knew who she was,
… police argued that publishing her name “will lead to the deceased … being identified in the small community”.
Hmm. Kawerau people will learn what they already know.
What else?
They argued there was a “real risk of speculation as to what has occurred at this early stage and police have genuine concern that this may interfere with their investigation, particularly at this early stage when some potential witnesses have yet to be identified and located”.
They argued that any public interest in knowing the woman’s identity “is currently outweighed by the overriding interest in ensuring that the police investigation is not hampered by speculation and incorrect reporting”.
People speculate when they aren’t given facts that are known to officials.
The coroner acknowledged that the starting point must be the importance of freedom of speech, open judicial proceedings and the media’s right to report.
But he said that in this case, “interests of justice” grounds applied.
“The death of [name redacted] is being treated as a homicide. No person has been charged with her death at this early stage.
“I consider it in the interests of justice that the police be unhampered from unwarranted speculation caused by publication of the names … at this time.”
He made interim non-publication orders, to remain in place at least until Monday.
And then the people of Kawerau will learn what they already know.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE.
According to the Stuff report, hundreds of people packed a funeral home this week to farewell her.
The woman’s adult children remembered her as “the best mum anyone could wish for… the most kind, caring, loving sweet person, she didn’t have a bad bone in her body”.
This is a strong hint that hundreds of people know the woman’s name, including the Stuff reporter, because:
This Stuff inquiries in the Kawerau and Whakatane areas found she was heavily involved in the community and highly respected.
PoO is unsure about why Stuff approached police on Tuesday afternoon to advise them it intended to name the woman.
But the cops applied to the coroner for interim orders barring publication of her name, as well as the name of a man who was involved in a collision with a train at Paengaroa – about 60km from Kawerau – shortly before her body was discovered.
The application was successful:
On Tuesday evening Coroner Bruce Hesketh granted the orders.
His written decision provided new information about the case.
Stuff has shared this information with its readers, including:
He said the woman died from injuries received in an apparent assault at her home, some time over October 24-25.
Police were alerted to the scene and discovered her body at the address at 11:26pm on October 25.
She was found in a bedroom and had suffered traumatic injuries to her head and face and police were treating it as a homicide, Hesketh said.
We further learn that police attended a separate incident at 9.04pm that night, involving a collision between a car and train on Te Puke Highway at Paengaroa.
The driver suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital.
Police at that time had yet to speak to the driver, who remained in a critical condition, and had not spoken to other potential witnesses.
But what’s suppressing the victim’s name supposed to accomplish?
Although Stuff inquiries in Kawerau had quickly enabled the reporter to identify her, and hundreds of people attended her funeral because (presumably) they knew who she was,
… police argued that publishing her name “will lead to the deceased … being identified in the small community”.
Hmm. Kawerau people will learn what they already know.
What else?
They argued there was a “real risk of speculation as to what has occurred at this early stage and police have genuine concern that this may interfere with their investigation, particularly at this early stage when some potential witnesses have yet to be identified and located”.
They argued that any public interest in knowing the woman’s identity “is currently outweighed by the overriding interest in ensuring that the police investigation is not hampered by speculation and incorrect reporting”.
People speculate when they aren’t given facts that are known to officials.
The coroner acknowledged that the starting point must be the importance of freedom of speech, open judicial proceedings and the media’s right to report.
But he said that in this case, “interests of justice” grounds applied.
“The death of [name redacted] is being treated as a homicide. No person has been charged with her death at this early stage.
“I consider it in the interests of justice that the police be unhampered from unwarranted speculation caused by publication of the names … at this time.”
He made interim non-publication orders, to remain in place at least until Monday.
And then the people of Kawerau will learn what they already know.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for joining the discussion. Breaking Views welcomes respectful contributions that enrich the debate. Please ensure your comments are not defamatory, derogatory or disruptive. We appreciate your cooperation.