Following Paul's Henry's infantile outburst this week, I didn't think the media could possibly irk me any further. I was wrong.
Today's Sunday Star Times reported that Kristin Dunne-Powell, whose back was broken in a vicious assault by her ex-partner Tony Veitch, is moving overseas. No surprises there: Dunne-Powell's life in NZ has become all but untenable. Her boss is quoted is saying it would be very hard for her to continue in her job. Veitch, incapable of admitting that his actions were simply and utterly wrong, has insinuated that Dunne-Powell was 'asking for it' by irritating him - and the media have cheerfully lapped up this apologist bullshit.
Today's article reported that, if and when Veitch comes to trial, Dunne-Powell will be flown back to New Zealand at the taxpayers' expense. To which I answer, so f*cking what? The woman was a victim of a serious assault which broke her back - should she have to personally meet the costs of the justice process in a country where she can no longer even live? The mere idea of treating a victim of crime this way is repugnant (and yet I don't see Garth McVicar up in arms about it - funny, that.).
The Sunday Star Times has published this with one intention: to generate ill-will against Dunne-Powell. If Veitch had shattered the spine of someone else - a relative, a colleague, a stranger - would the media try to undermine his victim? Of course not - because that would be a real assault, unlike 'lashing out' at your ex-girlfriend.
8 comments:
Presumably this is just the latest in the series of stories planted in the media by Veitch's media managers. That he would have people doing that for him isn't at all surprising - more surprising is the way various media outlets seem happy to bend over and spread 'em when Veitch's media people snap their fingers, but I guess you only need to look at the number of no-life losers lapping up the stories to see why the SST is happy to put it on the front page.
It's doubly contemptible that the SST has played an instrumental role in making her life here unliveable by, as Psycho Mily points out, effectively being part of Veitch's PR spin team. There's practically an article about the case every week, even when there's no real news. They should be ashamed.
If I ever founded a PR company, I'd insist to make it its motto: "We should be ashamed".
The headline that bothered me the most last week was the one about David not following Helen to New York though - the lead in the Herald (online version at least) on Friday or Saturday.
I was disturbed by that too G. Disappointing that that is a media focus.
Wait. The company she works for says it would be best if she leaves?
Wow, thanks for the support guys.
Totally agree with this post, it was disgusting the way they said she would be flying back at the taxpayers' expense, as if that's got anything to do with it. The media has created the circus around this, not Kirstin Dunne-Powell.
I'd feel some empathy for Veitch if he fronted up and said what he did was wrong, but he's too much of a coward to do that.
Anon, I couldn't agree more - if Veitch was willing to admit that his actions were wrong, I'd be supportive of him trying to get his life together.
As it is, he's just standing back and letting the media imply that Dunne-Powell deserved to be assaulted.
Moose, I would have thought that might be constructive dismissal territory? It's a very hard area of the law to win in though, very murky.
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