Hard News: Angry and thrilled about Arie
575 Responses
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Thanks 'Chris' but the real work came from the aspie self advocacy sector itself. They were on to it as soon as the story broke, found the first lawyer, set up a Justice for Arie-Smith Voorkamp page that has been very active and has gathered support internationally, went to the hearings and lobbied ministers and media. My only contribution was passing bits of information on.
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Rich Lock, in reply to
Not to overlook others, but all of you and especially Russell and Hilary, deserve to be heartily congratulated for your unrelenting and passionate efforts here on this case .
I'll +1 that.
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Russell Brown, in reply to
Not to overlook others, but all of you and especially Russell and Hilary, deserve to be heartily congratulated for your unrelenting and passionate efforts here on this case.
It's probably fairly obvious that I'm motivated by the knowledge that my boys are at the same risks out there. I'm feeling it particularly this morning because I've been scanning several years' worth of official documents relating to Leo -- for another run at an unhelpful system -- and been reminded of how terrible things were for quite a long time.
It's empowering when this technology helps to make the world a better place, and that's only possible when people are prepared to go that extra figurative mile, stand up tall and make the right noise
It should be noted that not all the social media related to this case was helpful. At the time of Arie's arrest, there were 50,000 people signed up to a string-up-the-looters Facebook group. That created an emotional climate.
But Hilary sells herself short: she's a quiet and assiduous networker, she knows where things are and who needs to know.
And me? I might as well use this big megaphone I've got.
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David Clarkson has updated his story on Christchurch Court News:
The case was heading for trial and came to a pre-trial session before Judge Stephen Erber at the Christchurch District Court sitting in the Maori Land Court today. Judge Erber was one of the judges who had earlier advised the police to drop the charge after the first psychiatric report on Smith-Voorkamp, telling them they would have difficulty proving criminal intent.
The breakthrough came today with a psychiatric report which the police and crown had considered.
Crown prosecutor Phil Shamy told the court: “The police, having reviewed the matter, and the nature of the alleged offence, being at the lower end of the scale, and the potential penalty, and the fact that he has no previous convictions, seek leave to withdraw the charges against him.”
So, having repeatedly insisted that they had to proceed on account of the "seriousness" of the charge, the police now describe the alleged offence as "being at the lower end of the scale." Great.
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Much as I'd personally like to smack someone over the back of the head for what has happened in this case, I think there is probably a good case for proceeding in a measured careful way from here.
The aim surely is to create understanding and awareness in the police that people on the spectrum are not easy to assess particularly in the heat of the moment where they are most likely to stress out.
As I said going on a hunt to find the particular officers involved might be fun but it isn't likely to engender any kind of willingness for the police to learn from their errors.
One thing it seems to me is needed is some kind of instruction sheet that can help police identify when they are dealing with something other than a bog standard criminal. Ignorance seems to have been the problem and ignorance can be cured reasonably easily.
Given that the police almost certainly know they f'ed up badly and are likely embarrassed at many levels it seems likely that they might be willing at the moment to work quite hard to develop better practices rather than have folks focus on who should be blamed. While less emotionally satisfying it might be the best long term approach.
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Rich Lock, in reply to
I'm open to being persuaded that an internal police witch-hunt may not be the best way to proceed.
However, surely the better point would be 'you're the frontline guardians of law and order. How about you stop dealing out summary justice and treat all your suspects with humanity and respect, regardless of who they are or the alleged offence?"
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Russell Brown, in reply to
As I said going on a hunt to find the particular officers involved might be fun but it isn’t likely to engender any kind of willingness for the police to learn from their errors.
Given the quite highly-charged nature of the discussion here over the weekend, it’s worth noting that Jonathan Eaton described the original police actions as “understandable” in the circumstances. Not right, but not as consciously awful as what senior officers did later.
One thing it seems to me is needed is some kind of instruction sheet that can help police identify when they are dealing with something other than a bog standard criminal. Ignorance seems to have been the problem and ignorance can be cured reasonably easily.
Sadly, acting assistant commissioner of operations Dave Cliff seems determined not to admit that anything could ever be done better. He’s not serving his own officers by rejecting Autism NZ’s plea for better practices. He’s just being awfully arrogant.
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BenWilson, in reply to
How about you stop dealing out summary justice and treat all your suspects with humanity and respect, regardless of who they are or the alleged offence?
Yup, I know of plenty of people who aren't autistic, who have been roughed up badly by the cops, and then persecuted for years with charges hanging over them. Once they get it in their heads that you're a villain, it becomes us-vs-them.
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Sacha, in reply to
Ignorance seems to have been the problem
From the higher-ups rather than the original arresting officers, really - and a fair degree of knowing pig-headedness. Needs more than a brochure to fix that. Attitudes, processes and behaviours must improve across the whole Police force, which is also not just a matter of handing around a few factsheets.
Oh, snap
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merc,
Build prisons, fill them.
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
which is also not just a matter of handing around a few factsheets
Yeah I don't believe it will be that simple either. I don't think changing attitudes is easy. But I really do think at least at the very front line it was mostly just complete ignorance, they simply had no clue that someone on the autism spectrum might react differently under stress.
I'm just very conscious that us humans can get very stubborn when blame is being assigned. I'd really hope we can avoid getting to the point where police won't listen at all, and yes maybe they are already there :(.
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Bart Janssen, in reply to
not as consciously awful as what senior officers did later
Yeah this is the bit that worries me the most.
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Rich Lock, in reply to
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Can you have,
Two line,
Haikus? -
BenWilson, in reply to
Ponder this, we should.
It's not a trivial problem. I don't think putting it down to pure jealousy of youth is really on the money. A lot of it comes to a real disconnect in thinking processes. As adults, I mostly see a world for kids which is much easier, because they have so many things I didn't. But at the same time, I can see that feeling valued as a child now is much harder. I think the two are connected, that an easier world can be a harder world at the same time.
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Rich Lock, in reply to
Can you have,
Two line,
Haikus?If merc's original
line is included, my form
is five-seven-five -
Although, in English
apparently, right form
not strictly needed. -
merc, in reply to
The most often quoted haiku did not follow haiku form.
Prison statistics 2010 http://www.corrections.govt.nz/about-us/facts_and_statistics/prisons/march_2010.html
I am trying to find inmate literacy rates, http://www.corrections.govt.nz/cgi-bin/htsearch -
Steve Barnes, in reply to
Once they get it in their heads that you’re a villain, it becomes us-vs-them.
Villain=not a Police Officer
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Haiku, Shmiku.
It's all boody
Greek
to me. -
Rich Lock, in reply to
It's not a trivial problem.
Yes. I just found Merc's comment somewhat cryptic, and I wanted to pick that up and riff on it a little bit.
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merc,
Prosody http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosody_(poetry), can also tie in with intonation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intonation_(linguistics) which may tie in to the speech of a person with Asperger’s syndrome.
Just to link some stuff. -
Yes, further kudos to Hilary.
And me? I might as well use this big megaphone I’ve got.
I believe “Bomber” Bradbury said “Foghorn”? :)
I’m afraid that I’ve been highly sceptical of MPs who’ve been perhaps sincerely concerned about people or issues, but all too eager to throw them under the bus, let their gestures remain mere gestures and quietly slip out the back door or find that they have a prior engagement when it really matters. Sincere praise then to Judge Stephen Erber and Jonathan Eaton for making their principles practice.
And of course Arie and Michael, for enduring what they should never have endured.
As for Cliff, Erasmus and Lhaws, here are some pineapples, see where you can stick them, scum.
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Sacha, in reply to
I'd love to see you on Twitter, sir. Seriously (pachydermously, even).
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Kracklite, in reply to
Prepare to be disappointed. The very concept of making a concise and focused statement is entirely against my nature.
...um, maybe I just did that? In which case I wish to subvert it by adding an unnecessary qualifying statement.
And I don't wish to undermine or distract from my earlier post by indulging in such self-referential, indeed postmodern meta-commentary either.
Oh shit.
No, I mean what I said. So there.
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