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New Zealand tightens justice regime in wake of international manhunt

Xinhua, October 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand government on Thursday said it was closing loopholes in the justice sector that enabled a convicted murderer to escape and to flee to South America last year.

Justice Minister Amy Adams and Corrections Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga made the comments on the publication of a report on an independent inquiry into matters surrounding the escape of Phillip John Smith, also known as Phillip John Traynor.

The inquiry found shortcomings in various agencies' systems and processes and made 39 recommendations to remedy them.

The government accepted or accepted in principle 34 of the recommendations and was considering the remaining five, said Adams, who is leading the government response and related work programs.

"The report highlighted vulnerabilities that need to be addressed including the way we deal with identity and information sharing across the justice sector, and other related agencies such as Customs and Internal Affairs," Adams said in a statement.

"A number of refinements across agencies have already been made which will significantly reduce the likelihood of a similar occurrence happening again."

Smith fled the country while on a three-day release from a North Island prison, sparking a manhunt in South America.

He left New Zealand on Nov. 6, flying to Chile, then on to Brazil, and was detained in Rio de Janeiro on Nov. 13 before being deported on Nov. 28.

The key issues identified in the report were: the inadequate risk management given Smith's profile; shortcomings in the monitoring of temporary release; and identity management problems that enabled Smith to obtain a passport and leave the country.

Lotu-Iiga said the Department of Corrections had already made the temporary release process "more rigorous."

"High risk prisoners are subject to more intense scrutiny and comprehensive risk assessment," Lotu-Iiga said in the statement.

Smith was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1996 for stabbing to death a man whose son he had been sexually abusing.

Smith, who was denied parole in 2013 because he was considered "high risk" and a "serious danger" to the community, absconded from the care of a family member during a 72-hour temporary release from prison. Endi