Five police staff were injured after vehicles were rammed in the Lower Hutt suburb of Epuni this evening Police were called to Trinity Ave at 5.25pm after receiving a report of suspicious behaviour Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said police noticed a vehicle of interest leaving the area and signalled it to stop Instead it drove into the police vehicle and then into two other police vehicles that arrived to help A member of the public’s vehicle was also struck A man then tried to flee on foot but was apprehended by police around 5.45pm Parnell said three police vehicles were significantly damaged and five police staff suffered minor injuries in the collisions “Our staff go to work every day to help make our communities safer and behaviour such as this where police staff and vehicles are targeted is unacceptable,” Parnell said “I am incredibly proud of the work from our staff in this quick-moving event where a vehicle was used as a weapon against police creating a massive risk to the safety of everybody involved.” A 49-year-old man is set to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court tomorrow facing three charges of aggravated assault Police are continuing their investigations and further charges have not been ruled out Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday National want to replicate a ban that was passed by Australian lawmakers A man accused of ramming into police cars and injuring five officers in Lower Hutt has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and reckless driving Police said four vehicles, including three police cars, were rammed into as a driver attempted to escape officers in the Lower Hutt suburb of Epuni earlier this month A 49-year-old man appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court on Tuesday and was granted an extension to his name suppression He faces multiple charges including three charges of aggravated assault reckless driving and failing to stop for police His bail conditions included being restricted to his house other than to attend counselling and medical appointments in person The judge declined a request from the police prosecutor to prevent him driving to his appointments The man was due to reappear in court on 27 June Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News Trinity Avenue, In Epuni, Lower Hutt. (Source: 1News) A child was a passenger in a vehicle when a driver allegedly rammed three police cars, injuring five officers, in Lower Hutt yesterday afternoon. A 49-year-old man was taken into custody following the incident. Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said officers were called to Trinity Ave, Epuni after receiving a report of suspicious behaviour shortly before 5.30pm. "A responding police unit observed a vehicle of interest leaving the area and signalled for it to stop. "It did not stop and instead, drove into the police vehicle and then into two other police vehicles that arrived to assist." Parnell said a member of the public's vehicle was also hit by the man's vehicle, and that person was uninjured. "The man exited his vehicle in an attempt to flee the scene on foot, and was taken into custody just after 5.45pm." Parnell said three police vehicles sustained "significant damage" and five police staff were assessed with minor injuries. "I am incredibly proud of the work from our staff in this quick-moving event where a vehicle was used as a weapon against police, creating a massive risk to the safety of everybody involved." He said "behaviour such as this where police staff and vehicles are targeted is unacceptable". Police also confirmed to 1News that a child known to the driver was in the vehicle at the time of the incident. A 49-year-old man was due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court today, facing three charges of aggravated assault, a charge of indecent assault and failed to stop for police. Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office Police said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public Crime and Justice Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Police said they were investigating the incident which occurred outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa at around 3pm on Monday Homicide investigation after man dies in Auckland's Manurewa Emergency services were called to the property on Mahia Rd just before 10am to a report of a man "seriously injured" Vandals in 4WDs mow down The damage was done overnight on Saturday after the vandals first removed new vehicle barriers in front of the trees Owner prosecuted after dog starves to death SPCA inspectors found evidence suggesting Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said a scene guard has been in place at the restaurant overnight Judge orders arrest of man over plot targeting Lady Gaga concert 3:25pm EU launches drive to lure scientists after Trump freezes funding 3:14pm Auditor-General launches probe into school lunches 2:57pm Man charged after gun allegedly fired in Masterton MSD office 2:45pm Police plea after 'oversight' left Bondi killer without help 2:18pm Sullivan's four-try onslaught highlights Chiefs' vulnerabilities 2 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Bystanders prevent attempted abduction of Auckland primary student Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala Vandals in 4WDs mow down, destroy 38 pōhutukawa trees in Napier Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon A 25-year-old man has appeared in court after he allegedly fired a gun at another person inside a Ministry of Social Development office in Masterton yesterday Police were called to the incident on Lincoln Rd at around 12.40pm on Monday Wairarapa Area Commander Inspector Nick Thom said there were no reports of injuries from the incident "Following police's initial enquiries one person was taken into custody a short time later nearby." Cordons were put in place around the area and some staff were armed as a precaution Thom said it was believed to be an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public "Police would like to commend Ministry of Social Development staff for their prompt actions in following their lockdown procedures as this enabled police to provide a swift response to resolve this incident quickly." A 25-year-old man appeared in Masterton District Court today charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and conducting a dangerous act with intent to cause grievous bodily harm A stranger allegedly tried to force an 8-year-old boy into a car outside an Auckland primary school yesterday before bystanders intervened and the man drove off Police confirmed they were investigating an incident from around 3pm on Monday outside Rowandale School in the suburb of Manurewa "Police are still working to understand exactly what was occurring at the time and our enquiries are ongoing," a spokesperson said "We have spoken with the boy and will continue to work through a careful process Rowandale School principal Karl Vasau said in a statement to social media that other parents had intervened "The student then made his way home and told his parents who then came into school to let us know and then they rung the police." Vasau told 1News the pupil was "doing fine" following the incident and was surrounded by a "supportive "Our student is safe now and his family are thankful that nothing further happened to their boy but are wanting us all to be aware and stay safe It's about working with that child to make them feel safe again but also looking forward to returning back to school with a little bit of normality." Police had reacted "pretty quickly" to the reports "They've been in this morning to touch base and connect the community police constables are going to come back to tomorrow to address the whole school in relation to what had happened and around keeping themselves safe before and after school." Increased police patrols would remain in the area after school from Wednesday Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105 A Southland man whose dog was found starved to death has been sentenced to community work was found dead in his kennel by Invercargill City Council Animal Control officers in June 2023 SPCA inspectors executed a search warrant and found evidence which suggested Mike had been tethered to the same spot "for an extended period" with a rusty chain He was prosecuted for failing to seek veterinary care for the severely malnourished dog The ground Mike was restricted to was described as "worn down" "His body was in extremely poor condition and pelvis were clearly visible," SPCA said A post-mortem confirmed the dog had the lowest possible body condition score which suggested Mike had been starved over several weeks His stomach and intestines were "almost entirely empty" The offender admitted he had not checked on the dog for "about a week" The man claimed he had not contacted a vet or the SPCA because he could not afford to do so He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service at the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to charges relating to the treatment of Mike He was also ordered to pay reparations of $233.88 for veterinary costs and $500 towards legal costs He was disqualified from owning dogs for a period of five years SPCA chief executive Todd Westwood said Mike's death was the result of neglect that could have been avoided This case is a clear reminder that if an animal is unwell It’s a basic responsibility of pet ownership,” he said He said prolonged tethering was "unacceptable and heartbreaking", which was why the SPCA advocated for new regulations that would be released later this year "The prolonged tethering of dogs is an issue that our inspectors deal with daily While it is difficult to gather accurate numbers it is safe to say this issue impacts the lives of thousands of dogs in New Zealand." Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard said in April that the new regulations would give animal welfare inspectors the tools to intervene quickly when dogs are suffering harm from being tied up for long periods Hoggard said he had "been hearing a lot from members of the public" who want to see action taken" on the issue of dog chaining "Most dog owners in New Zealand treat their animals well and these regulations will have little to no impact upon them," he said "I’m confident these regulations will result in better outcomes for those dogs "We have a few steps to follow to get these proposals ready to become law but it is my expectation that these will be finalised by the end of the year That will be followed by a short period with a focus on education so that all dog owners understand their obligations and to allow those who need to make changes time to adapt." The changes agreed on through Cabinet included: A law change was first proposed and consulted on two years ago Nearly 30,000 people signed a petition to Parliament on the issue in 2021 Police say a fire at a McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga is being investigated as a suspected arson Emergency services attended the fire on Pakuranga Rd just before 3pm yesterday Large plumes of smoke could be seen and explosions heard at the fast food restaurant which has "sustained significant fire damage as a result" "At this point in time we are treating this fire as a suspected arson "A scene examination is being conducted this morning and police will work alongside a fire investigator," she said Gillespie said part of these inquiries would be working to understand how the fire began She said police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity prior to the fire Anyone with information was urged to contact police online or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 A Brazilian judge today ordered the arrest of a man suspected of being involved in an alleged plot to place explosives at a concert by singer Lady Gaga in Rio de Janeiro Judge Fabiana Pagel of the Rio Grande do Sul state court did not name the suspect in her ruling but said he is a man investigated by Rio de Janeiro police as the alleged mastermind of the plot said yesterday they had released a man under investigation for the alleged plot after he paid his bail Brazilian media reported that is the same man jailed today by Judge Pagel Rio police did not reveal names of either of its two suspects or show images of the explosives that the alleged plotters intended to use said authorities believed the suspects sought to target Brazil’s LGBTQ community The Rio event on Sunday was the biggest show of the pop star’s career attracting an estimated 2.5 million fans to Copacabana Beach with 5200 military and police officers deployed to the beach where fans were revelling The European Union launched a drive to attract scientists and researchers to Europe with offers of grants and new policy plans after the Trump administration froze US government funding linked to diversity no one would have imagined that one of the biggest democracies in the world would cancel research programs under the pretext that the word diversity was in this programme," French President Emmanuel Macron said at the Choose Europe for Science event in Paris "No one would have thought that one of the biggest democracies in the world would delete the ability of one researcher or another to obtain visas," Macron said Taking the same stage at the Sorbonne University European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the EU’s executive branch would set up a "super grant" programme aimed at offering "a longer-term perspective to the very best" in the field She said that €500 million (NZ$948 million) would be put forward in 2025-2027 "to make Europe a magnet for researchers" It would be injected into the European Research Council which already has a budget of more than €16 billion (NZ$30 billion) for 2021-2027 Von der Leyen said the 27-nation EU intended "to enshrine freedom of scientific research into law" with a new legal act As "the threats rise across the world Europe will not compromise on its principles" The White House responded by describing DEI as "an inherently discriminatory policy" "If the European Union wants to embrace policies that divide rather than focus on real scientific discovery they should not be surprised when US innovation continues to outpace Europe," said spokesperson Anna Kelly "America will continue to attract and cultivate the best talent in science Macron said that the French government would also soon make new proposals to beef up investment in science and research hundreds of university researchers in the United States had National Science Foundation funding cancelled to comply with US President Donald Trump’s order to end support for research on diversity More than 380 grant projects have been cut so far including work to combat internet censorship in China and Iran and a project consulting with Indigenous communities to understand environmental changes in Alaska’s Arctic region Some terminated grants that sought to broaden the diversity of people studying science researchers and doctors have taken to the streets in protest While not mentioning the Trump administration by name von der Leyen said that it was "a gigantic miscalculation" to undermine free and open research "We can all agree that science has no passport "We believe that diversity is an asset of humanity and the lifeblood of science It is one of the most valuable global assets and it must be protected." Von der Leyen's drive to promote opportunities in Europe in the field of science and take advantage of US policy shifts dovetails with the way that she has played up the potential for trade deals with other countries since Trump took office in January and sparked a tariff war last month vowed that the EU would also address some of the roadblocks that scientists and researchers faced notably excessive red tape and access to businesses Macron said science and research must not "be based on the diktats of the few" Macron said Europe "must become a refuge" for scientists and researchers and he said to those who feel under threat elsewhere: "The message is simple The Auditor-General's office has announced plans for an inquiry into the school lunch programme that has drawn criticism since a revamp It will cover Ministry of Education planning procurement and contract implementation under David Seymour's alternative model Terms of reference for the inquiry set out its scope: The Auditor-General's office said it decided to investigate because of concerns raised about aspects of the revised lunch programme and what the Ministry communicated with previous providers," it said "Because of the importance of these services we have decided to carry out an inquiry." the Office noted the ministry had in October last year awarded a two-year contract to the School Lunch Collective under which lunches would be provided for $3 each The ministry was also reported to have paid a further $8.9m to the collective for Year 9 and older students which had been part of the School Lunch Collective A further $4m grant was provided to KidsCan for a food programme in Early Childhood Education services rnz.co.nz A coroner is likely to recommend improvements after an overworked police force failed to connect a mass killer to the mental health system before his unprovoked attack had been diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teen and was experiencing psychotic symptoms when he killed six people and injured 10 at Sydney's Westfield Bondi Junction in April 2024 An inquest has been told Queensland Police had a number of chances to plug him back into mental health treatment and medication ahead of the tragedy Cauchi was homeless and living apart from his family in Toowoomba when he was shot dead by police during his stabbing rampage He had stopped taking his medication in 2019 and stopped seeing a psychiatrist in 2020 Queensland police officers made several calls for change including greater numbers of mental health officers within the force They also suggested that laws regarding when mentally ill people could be forced to take an involuntary psychiatric examination be amended to be less confusing manager of the Queensland police's vulnerable persons unit said the changes were needed to prevent the criminalisation of those with mental illness "Mental health shouldn't just be a police response," he told the NSW Coroners Court "It's a no-brainer to me that there should be appropriate responses that are health-led." Counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer said that changing legislation around police powers was "shaping up to be a significant recommendation" at the inquest This week's evidence has focused on one particular incident in January 2023 when Cauchi called police to his family's Toowoomba home He accused his father Andrew of stealing his collection of knives telling attending officers that they had to be returned or he would become bankrupt or homeless A follow-up visit to the Cauchi family home was requested and the fill-in police mental health incident co-ordinator for the Darling Downs region saw the email — but he forgot to action it due to an "oversight" the co-ordinator he was filling in for backed the officer "His oversight on that email is devastating," she said "It's not indicative of him as an officer or how he performed my role." She also backed a call for further assistance saying police officers were under greater pressure due to increasing numbers of call-outs relating to mental health despite not being trained in this area "If it's not bleeding and it's not on fire the police are the people who have to attend," she said police were called to Cauchi's unit in Brisbane after residents heard a man screaming and the sound of someone being hit He told attending officers that he had been slamming his fridge Cauchi was also pulled over three times in 2020 and 2021 by highway patrol police for erratic driving The Chiefs are putting their faith in first-five Damian McKenzie recovering from a hand injury in time to play the Crusaders in what is a pivotal game in Christchurch on Saturday But just as important to the Super Rugby Pacific leaders will be improving a defence which leaked 26 unanswered points in the second half of their 35-17 defeat to the Hurricanes It was an uncharacteristic defensive lapse by a usually highly consistent side who retained their place at the top of the table thanks to their superior points differential compared with the Crusaders the Chiefs face Moana Pasifika in Hamilton and the Highlanders in Dunedin in the run in to the playoffs – games very much in the winnable category although the former have surprised a few this season The Crusaders’ run-in features the Waratahs in Sydney the Highlanders in Christchurch and a potentially difficult trip to Canberra to play the third-placed Brumbies Every team has looked vulnerable at times this season The Crusaders’ two losses came against the Chiefs in Hamilton and a shock defeat to Moana Pasifika — both heavy although they did escape a Hurricanes’ comeback in Wellington in round nine They also needed two James O’Connor penalties in the final 10 minutes to beat the Blues a week later But the Chiefs’ downfall at the weekend was as unexpected as it was spectacular after they led 17-9 at the break Replacement wing Bailyn Sullivan made history when scoring all four of the Hurricanes’ tries after the break as the home side too easily unlocked the Chiefs’ defence via a long pass a break through Cortez Ratima and Shaun Stevenson close to the line an excellent wide cross-kick by Ruben Love and a shorter grubber kick by Riley Higgins Getting McKenzie back on the field after he missed the last two weekends for the Chiefs will be important for their game management but a Crusaders attack that ran in six tries against the Highlanders last time out will threaten them in different ways the Crusaders may be without All Black Will Jordan Jordan has played in all 10 Crusaders matches this season and head coach Rob Penney has been guarded about Jordan's rest plan of his All Blacks No.10 McKenzie: “Everything's tracking in the direction that he should be available but we won't count our chickens before they hatch.” the defending champion Blues must win in Suva against the Drua to force their way back into the playoffs mix after being overtaken for the sixth and final spot by Moana Pasifika Moana Pasifika beat the Highlanders 34-29 in Dunedin – their first win over the southerners in another Ardie Savea-inspired performance Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate Kiwi motorcyclist Shane Richardson is one of two riders who died in an 11-bike crash at a British Supersport Championship event was fatally injured alongside Englishman Owen Jenner on the first corner of the race at Oulton Park A statement from British Superbikes said the race was immediately stopped and trackside medical services deployed "Due to the extreme severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention the remainder of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship event was cancelled," a spokesperson said "This catastrophic accident has tragically resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another sustaining significant injuries." Richardson was initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit's medical centre before he was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with "severe chest injuries" Jenner was also initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit medical centre where he died from a "catastrophic head injury" British rider Tom Tunstall suffered back and abdominal injuries and a further five riders including New Zealander Morgan McLaren-Wood were transferred to the circuit medical centre with minor injuries which did not require transfer to hospital Three more riders were also involved but were uninjured who was a previous New Zealand rider of the year Cemetery Circuit in Whanganui posted to its social media in tribute to Richardson a fantastic and talented racer and a genuine human" "Devastated to hear we have lost another of our racing family Our thoughts are with Hannah and the family along with our condolences to Owen’s family too." Richardson's sponsor Whites Powersports said the team was "extremely saddened" by the news of his death "Shane will be remembered by many as a great racer Our thoughts go out to Shane’s young family and friends during this tough time The New Zealand Superbike Championship said its "deepest sympathies" went out to Richardson's family and friends Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Epuni Street in Aro Valley will be formally renamed to Hōniana Te Puni Street this week to accurately reflect the tupuna (ancestor) the street is named after The new street name correctly recognises Hōniana Te Puni a prominent Te Āti Awa leader who played a significant role in shaping Wellington’s cultural history.  Hōniana Te Puni was a chief of the Ngāti Tāwhirikura and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū of Te Āti Awa In the early 1830s he was one of the leaders of the hekenga (migration) that travelled from Taranaki to the greater Wellington region.  In 1839, he and Te Wharepōuri another chief of Te Āti Awa and a signatory on Te Tiriti in 1840 signed an agreement to sell land in the present-day Wellington City to the New Zealand Company with a tenth of the land to be set apart for Māori Tākai Here partners have advised that the use of Epuni as the street name is inappropriate as it was a colloquial term used in conversation between Māori in certain circumstances similar to the use of e hoa (friend) today This name appears to have been recorded in error by early Wellington settlers Council engaged with Tākai Here partners Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa ki te Upoko o Te Ika a Māui to reach consensus on the name correction The preference from our partners was to rename Epuni Street to his full name as the shorter Te Puni Street is already in use in Petone.  This aligns with the Council’s naming policy, Te Māpihi Maurea which provides guidelines and principles to be considered when deciding the name of roads The policy includes criteria for using te reo Māori where a location is important to mana whenua and using names that tell stories about the history of the place Mayor Tory Whanau says the name correction also fits with the Council’s Te Tauihu policy recognising the status of te reo Māori as a taonga and supporting the revitalisation of the language within Council activities and Wellington City “Following on from correcting Waripori to Te Wharepōuri Street in Berhampore in 2020 this latest renaming is part of our efforts to correct te reo Māori names around the city towns and geographical features have been incorrectly named over the years It’s time we set the record straight “Not only is it the right thing to do but it underpins the value and commitment of Council to our Tākai Here partnership to our partnership with mana whenua and our commitment to raising the status of te reo Māori.” Te Āti Awa and Ngāti Ruanui) who is a direct descendant of Hōniana Te Puni contributed historical accounts of his tupuna to Council and supported the investigation into the inappropriate use of Epuni Street “Hōniana Te Puni is one of the founders of Wellington and is not well recognised in the colloquial use of ‘Epuni’ which some would see as degrading The change will help people understand an important part of Wellington's history by naming him correctly.  “There are surprisingly few ancestral names used in Wellington City which is dominated by New Zealand Company names and other colonial names This correction makes it clear who the tupuna is.  “There are other tupuna who could be regarded as founders of Wellington City from a Māori perspective such as Ngatata i Te Rangi Street naming is one way to give another form of recognition of their place in history.” The corrected name will be unveiled by Wellington City Council and local residents and school students at a ceremony this week Hidden in the hills of Pōneke lies Aro Valley The suburb is full of quirky homes and colourful art Pōneke is celebrating three recently upgraded and renovated Community Centres around the city The Waimapihi Stream tracks underground through Garrett Street and is named after Mapihi Service desk locations One person has been taken into custody following an earlier incident in Epuni Police were called to Trinity Ave after receiving a report of suspicious behaviour A responding Police unit observed a vehicle of interest leaving the area and signalled for it to stop drove into the Police vehicle and then into two other Police vehicles that arrived to assist A member of the public's vehicle was also hit by the man's vehicle Thankfully the member of the public was uninjured The man exited his vehicle in an attempt to flee the scene on foot and was taken into custody just after 5:45pm Three Police vehicles have sustained significant damage Five Police staff have been assessed with minor injuries following the collisions Our staff go to work every day to help make our communities safer and behaviour such as this where Police staff and vehicles are targeted is unacceptable I am incredibly proud of the work from our staff in this quick-moving event where a vehicle was used as a weapon against Police creating a massive risk to the safety of everybody involved Police are continuing enquiries into this incident A 49-year-old man is due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court tomorrow facing three charges of aggravated assault a charge of indecent assault and failed to stop for Police The opening of Kāinga Ora’s 134-home development in Epuni Lower Hutt will provide much-needed social housing for Hutt families “I’ve been a strong advocate for social housing on Kāinga Ora’s Epuni site ever since the old earthquake-prone housing was demolished in 2015,” said Mr Bishop “I was pleased when the new Epuni development was announced by the previous National Government in 2017 and even more pleased to formally open the new homes today.” which will also include 30 affordable homes in partnership with Hutt City Council’s housing agency more than triples the original number of homes on the site “It’s a sensible place for medium density housing schools and local shops,” said Minister Bishop The development features a mix of one-bedroom apartments and larger family homes to house Kāinga Ora tenants “I am pleased to see the support of the local community has given this project and the Takiri Mai te Ata Whānau Ora Collective have worked with Kāinga Ora to ensure the development will lead to a strong community Tākiri Mai te Ata will provide onsite support for tenants “Today’s formal opening of this social housing development is another step forward as we work to end New Zealand’s housing crisis Last week the Government announced that it had achieved its target to reduce households in emergency housing motels by 75% five years early and under this Government the social housing waitlist has reduced by about 4,000 but we are making good progress,” said Mr Bishop Information and Events for the New Zealand Public Service Contact us: newsdesk@insidegovernment.co.nz This story discusses details of suicide and abuse that some people may find upsetting As the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care delivers its findings to the governor-general a survivor of abuse is busy using his experience to help others Graeme McCullough was abused at Epuni Boys' Home and what he went through in his nine months there has shaped the next 50 years From the outside he appeared a successful businessman After he left the fire service he worked for an oil company before a move to fledging airline Ansett NZ where he was duty airport manager at Wellington and then regional manager in Palmerston North There were overseas trips and he even met the Queen He was a rotarian and a family man - married with children But Graeme McCullough was carrying a secret about his past and he was convinced his colleagues or friends would find out the truth and think less of him Much of what he felt is today called impostor syndrome McCullough describes it as self-sabotage when his life was going well On those occasions doubts would creep in that he was out of his depth or about to be found out and he would move on "I always thought I was a less-than-normal person That was what was instilled into me by the guy who was abusing me," he says McCullough spent nine months in Epuni as an 11-year-old when his parents were having a hard time as his siblings went to stay with relatives His childhood was otherwise relatively normal but that seemingly short period took a continuous toll Moncrieff-Wright was later convicted and jailed on rape and sexual violation charges against other boys and is now dead but McCullough says he felt his presence for almost 50 years "It's ridiculous that you can be 63 years old and those nine months of my life have basically ruined my life "I spoke with a survivor and said that he lived rent-free in my head for 47 years and how could I allow that to happen?" McCullough says I'm pleased to say he's not there every day [now] For a few years Moncrieff-Wright was in the news as he went through court and McCullough even received a call from police asking about Epuni He didn't engage with them though - he wasn't ready to tell anyone McCullough vowed to take his secret to the grave he received a hiding for attention seeking trusted authority and didn't think something like that would happen But then in 2017-18 news of the Royal Commission was everywhere "I had to face it and I didn't like the consequences of that so taking my life was better than telling people about it - which is kind of the reserve of what I'm doing now." an organisation trying to end the cycle of domestic violence It offers men a chance to talk through whether they're OK and try to pick a way forward if their lives aren't right McCullough holds men's groups and often drives around the North Island from his Palmerston North home to meet men talking to them and sometimes simply listening to their stories when he was getting the shakes uncontrollably In 2018 he shut his business and made an attempt at suicide including time in acute care and further suicidal thoughts but one thing that has changed is McCullough deciding he can't hide what happened to him any more nor carry that burden alone as if it were his fault "I [had] 47 years of pretending I was OK when I was clearly not OK and I don't want to have those feelings again I don't want to have to wake up with that feeling ever again," he says "I thought I was doing the right thing for my family and they would be better off if I wasn't here but I'd convinced myself the best thing for me was to not be here "I realise that I was expecting people to help me but I hadn't told them what I needed help with so I convinced myself that nobody could help me." During his recovery McCullough decided he needed to go back to Epuni for the first time since he was abused there The home shut for a while but reopened in 2001 as an Oranga Tamariki facility When McCullough turned up back at Riverside Drive he had no idea about this "For some reason I believed that it would be closed I was hoping against hope that the building would be gone and that it would either be a playing field or maybe a housing complex "When I turned up at the site to find not only was Epuni Boys' Home still standing but it was still operating as a facility.. He drove along the road and sat there for more than an hour McCullough says he thinks it should be gone given its history One turning point came when McCullough met fellow Epuni survivor Keith Wiffin The pair were there about the same time but don't recall each other McCullough says their initial meeting was for him to say sorry for not supporting Wiffin and other survivors in the prosecution of Moncrieff-Wright "When I was fortunate enough to meet him in 2018-19 I was able to apologise to him for not being brave enough to stand up like he did." McCullough says he went into their 30-minute coffee meeting still believing he wouldn't be around when he was 60 The pair chatted for three hours and they left with McCullough inviting Wiffin to his 60th birthday "That was kind of the start of my recovery," McCullough says but more than that was I gave myself permission to be OK." and McCullough is also often the confidant for people to tell him of their abuse - sometimes he's the first and only one they'll open up to "By opening that door it allows them to hopefully talk about what happened to them and we can navigate what possibilities and what options are for them," he says "What I felt was that I was sexually abused and that was not good and that was all I was "It's embarrassing to say 50-plus years later that I've only just started to realise that's what happened to me - it's not all of me "But a lot of my decision-making and my actions revolved around that low self-esteem lack of self-worth and just not feeling I belonged in a space McCullough says he's not interested personally in financial recompense If money comes the way of survivors he'd like his family to pick a holiday destination and he'll take them He'd also like to see some sort of care package for survivors And he'll closely watch the expected apology to make sure it's meaningful for him and the thousands of others abused in state care Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7) This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide or those who are concerned about family or friends Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202 Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7) Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz What's Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254 Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155 OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm) If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk NZ Police Victim Support 0800 842 846 Rape Prevention Education Empowerment Trust HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700 (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu Safe to talk: a 24/7 confidential helpline for survivors, support people and those with harmful sexual behaviour: 0800044334 Male Survivors Aotearoa Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496 Women's Refuge:(0800 733 843 It's Not OK 0800 456 450 Shine: 0508 744 633 Victim Support: 0800 842 846 The National Network of Family Violence Services NZ has information on specialist family violence agencies Explainer - The final report from the long-running inquiry has been made public on 24 July It is estimated between 110,000 and 255,000 people were abused in state or faith-based care from 1950 to 2019 Oranga Tamariki has been challenged on whether abuse in state care facilities really is historic as senior officials faced the Royal Commission again A man who was abused as a child while in a boys' home has pleaded with the Royal Commission looking into abuse in state care to ensure future generations are safeguarded from the suffering he and many… Due to extreme rainfall Hinemoa St pumping station has discharged sewage into the Waiwhetū Stream We advise people to stay away from this area and south of Hinemoa Street for the period of this notice A project to install or improve 13 pedestrian crossings across Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt was completed in mid 2024 Following concerns about pedestrian safety and accessibility challenges engagement with communities identified the points where new or improved crossing would make the greatest impact and encourage active modes of transport such as walking Locations for new or improved crossings were chosen based on areas: Raised crossings are a physical reminder for drivers to slow down and provide a level surface for crossing reducing obstacles that can pose challenges to people using mobility devices The crossings were part funded by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi as part of the National Land Transport Fund These crossings underwent thorough consultation and received approval from Council committees. We welcome any questions or concerns – please email the Transport Project Delivery Team at TransportProjectDeliveryTeam@huttcity.govt.nz 24 hours a day – 7 days a week 04 570 6666 | 0800 488 824 contact@huttcity.govt.nz Privacy Policy Accessibility Epuni Street in the Wellington suburb of Aro Valley has been corrected to Hōniana Te Puni Street A new street sign was unveiled by Wellington City Council and direct descendants of chief Hōniana Te Puni on Thursday morning Waripori Street was corrected to Te Wharepōuri Street in the suburb of Berhampore to honour chief Te Wharepōuri Mayor Tory Whanau said the new street name correctly recognises Hōniana Te Puni "He has had quite a significant impact on the culture of Wellington," she said "And while this may seem like just a small ceremony to some people in Wellington what I felt from this was a restoring of mana She was looking forward to being able to unveil other parts of the city which could do the same Hōniana Te Puni was a rangatira - chief - of the Ngāti Tāwhirikura and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū of Te Āti Awa He was one of the leaders of the hekenga - migration - from Taranaki to the greater Wellington region Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul said she hoped this would be a catalyst for the Wellington City Council to correct other names "I have got a big list of names - suburb names building names - that really need to be corrected so that we can understand our past and move into our future," she said But one resident of the now Hōniana Te Puni Street - who did not wish to be named - said he felt the council had far more important issues to resolve Another said it would be difficult to adjust to the new name St Vincent de Paul Aro Valley manager Heather Patterson said residents would get used to it and learn how to say the name properly it is just a slight name change," she said said the chief was one of the founders of Wellington and was not well recognised in the colloquial use of 'Epuni' "The change will help people understand an important part of Wellington's history by naming him correctly," he said "There are surprisingly few ancestral names used in Wellington City "There are other tupuna who could be regarded as founders of Wellington City from a Māori perspective such as Ngātata-i-te-rangi "Street naming is one way to give another form of recognition of their place in history." The correction is aligned with the council's policies Te Māpihi Maurea provides guidelines and principles to be considered when deciding the name of roads It includes a criteria for using te reo Māori where a location is important to mana whenua and using names which tell stories about the history of the place Te Tauihu recognises the status of te reo Māori as a taonga and supports the revitalisation of the language Whakatāne District Council has improved relationships with Māori but more work needs to be done just to keep up with legislative requirements and population growth An idea to "word bank" rejected Māori street names for developers to "pluck" from when building future subdivisions misses the point says an iwi still waiting on tohutō promised two years ago Papakangahorohoro Road has been rejected by Bay of Plenty residents for being too long Māori place names are being added to new road signs in Hastings Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa and Ngāti Te Whiti hapū have revealed the new name and facade of a prominent New Plymouth building Wellington police investigating the homicide of Matthew Stevens say their focus is on the Oxford Terrace address in Lower Hutt which he had visited in the past Police believe he was last in the Hutt Valley before he ended up dead down a bank on Paekakariki Hill Road who was found dead near his crashed car on Friday morning had suffered fatal stab wounds and had been assaulted He was found next to his Toyota Corolla early on Friday morning Police are examining the car and also have CCTV footage of Mr Stevens at a Countdown supermarket at about 10.30pm on Thursday night Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Sears said police were trying to establish whether Mr Stevens had been at the Oxford Terrace "Our inquiries are still yet to establish whether he had visited that address after his sighting at Countdown on the night "People we have spoken to have told us that he intended to go to the Oxford Terrace property," he said Police expect to be at that address for several more days Mr Sears said police believed Mr Stevens was not killed inside his vehicle He cannot yet say how the property was linked to the investigation He said police were trying to piece together Mr Stevens' movements around Lower Hutt on Thursday night Mr Stevens' family said they have been left shocked and traumatised after police upgraded their inquiry into his death to a homicide investigation Neighbours living on Oxford Terrace in the Lower Hutt suburb of Epuni where the property was undergoing forensic examination were also stunned to learn of the investigation Mr Sears said Mr Stevens' distraught family were helping police try to piece together the final days before his death "We're working closely with his family to identify friends and associates We need to speak to a lot of people to build a picture of what happened in the lead up to this assault," he said a neighbour and her husband who have lived there since 1979 said the property behind the cordon did not have a sanitary reputation "I don't know what has happened this time but I do know that people used to park outside my house The woman said police had been guarding the property since Friday and she was surprised they did not tell residents what was going on Directly next door to the cordoned off property another neighbour said the house recently got new tenants "They've only been there a couple of weeks "My son woke me up late Friday night saying the police armed offenders squad was outside," said the neighbour Police are calling for sightings of Mr Stevens' white Toyota Corolla A post-mortem on a man found dead next to his car north of Wellington on Paekakariki Hill Road on Friday has confirmed that he had suffered stab wounds and had been assaulted Police have released the name of the 32-year-old Lower Hutt man found dead near his crashed car on Paekakariki Hill Road A man who spent time in the Epuni Boys' Home in the 1970s and was sexually abused says there is evidence to suggest the man who abused him was prostituting boys and has given evidence for the third time to the inquiry into abuse in care who 40 years later in 2011 was convicted of assaulting three boys In new evidence to the Royal Commission, Wiffin said it has recently come to his attention that boys were driven in the Epuni Home van by Moncrieff-Wright to a Catholic facility in the Hutt Valley area where some boys were selected by priests to be sexually abused "That information has come to me in the first instance because of an investigation being conducted by the Catholic Church itself In the second instance from a boy who was a ward of the state around the same time I was in Epuni "He remembers the van being driven to the church and recalls members of the clergy walking around the van to look at the boys inside and select who they would take The common denominator was always Alan Moncrieff-Wright - a very serious and prolific abuser of children." He said while he has never been abused by a Catholic priest "My memory is of being taken my Moncrieff-Wright with at least one other boy to a Catholic facility around the area and it was like a church or a chapel not a church as such but there were pews." Wiffin recounted an email he received from the lawyer for a fellow abuse survivor speaking of travelling in the Epuni van "Somewhere along that route the van detoured to what is almost certainly a Catholic institution where boys were selected from the van to go inside to service the religious officials." He told the Royal Commission that claims by Moncrieff-Wright that he was not violent at the home were wrong Wiffin cited a time when Moncrieff-Wright used a brush to scrub out a home-made tattoo on a boy's hand He said there was a total lack of staff training at Epuni and describes the workforce as hired thugs "It gets back to the ideology and the philosophy of setting up the places they were about restraint and punishment." Wiffin said he has followed the evidence presented at the Royal Commission with total horror "I just totally commend my fellow survivors for coming forward and they come forward because they don't want to see it happen again What you have seen here over the last week and a bit is the tip of a massive massive iceberg which has had a major impact on this nation." He said abuse in care plays a huge part in this country's history and need to be recognised for that and acknowledged The Catholic Church said through its agency Te Rōpū Tautoko it had provided the Royal Commission with information related the alleged events in the Hutt Valley raised by Wiffin which was created by the church to co-ordinate its engagement with the Commission said the information formed part of extensive documentation provided Chairperson Catherine Fyfe said Church authorities were aware of an allegation similar to that raised by Wiffin ''Church authorities continue to work with survivors to investigate matters associated with the complaint The Royal Commission will be aware of this from documents provided.'' The Church is urging anyone with personal knowledge of the matters raised to come forward and said it will continue to strongly support the inquiry and respond to any issues that are raised A group representing some survivors of abuse claims the estimated number of people abused while in care is well off the mark The Minister of Internal Affairs has removed the Royal Commission's power to investigate modern care providers and recent cases of abuse Analysis - Sorry seemed to be a rather easy word at the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry over the past fortnight The Catholic Church in New Zealand has vowed to address abuse and put a stop to it but survivors say they have no confidence in the church process You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image Five officers received minor injuries in the "quick-moving" incident on Tuesday afternoon A 49-year-old man has been arrested and will face multiple charges in court today Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said police were called to Trinity Ave at 5.25pm after a report of suspicious behaviour Supt Parnell said a vehicle of interest was seen leaving the area but officers signalled for the driver to stop drove into the police vehicle and then into two other police vehicles that arrived to assist "A member of the public's vehicle was also hit by the man's vehicle Thankfully the member of the public was uninjured." Supt Parnell said five police staff had been assessed for minor injuries and three police vehicles sustained significant damage "Our staff go to work every day to help make our communities safer and behaviour such as this where police staff and vehicles are targeted is unacceptable," Supt Parnell said "I am incredibly proud of the work from our staff in this quick-moving event where a vehicle was used as a weapon against Police creating a massive risk to the safety of everybody involved." The arrested man will appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on Wednesday a charge of indecent assault and failed to stop for police Supt Parnell said further charges had not been ruled out A Children’s Commissioner report found the Epuni care and protection residence in Lower Hutt isn’t fit for purpose Children’s Commissioner Andrew Becroft is repeating his call to close Oranga Tamariki care and protection residences as details emerge of another facility that’s not fit for purpose It comes just one day after Oranga Tamariki closed its care and protection residence in Christchurch after footage obtained by Newsroom showed staff appearing to use excessive force against children Reports by the Children’s Commissioner into the Epuni Care and Protection Residence in Lower Hutt were released today under the Official Information Act The Commissioner's monitoring of the Epuni residence under the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) found the facility was run down In its announced visit in September last year children reported they didn’t feel safe from others or themselves nine youth between the ages of 12 and 16 were at the residence A great proportion of those children had complex mental health needs some had been in inpatient mental health facilities prior to being placed in the residence Andrew Becroft says he’s “mightily” relieved the agency is seriously investigating staff conduct Staff told the Commissioner serious self-harm was widespread among the young people at Epuni and they were worried about the impact of up to 10 children with high needs being in the same place at once One staff member said they were worried there could be a “sentinel event” meaning that a child would die or be seriously harmed Another staff member noted “the residence felt as if it was a ward on a mental health unit without the appropriate environment and staff training to match the needs of the children and young people” “Most” of the youth at the residences also reported staff were using force “inappropriately” They reported staff were not adequately trained in the restraint process Young children reported feeling “manhandled” and had seen staff “picking up” children when using force Staff told the Commissioner they restrained young people less than in the past and emphasised de-escalation as an alternative to force along with the video of apparent assaults at a Christchurch residence provide graphic evidence of the need for these outdated residences to close as soon as possible,” Becroft said “We welcome the fast and serious response to the video showing a boys’ treatment at Te Oranga enough is known already about the unsafe situation in other residences to urgently accelerate efforts to close these in favour of small home-like places where young people are cared for by people they trust Assistant Maori Commissioner Glenis Philip-Barbara said many staff at Epuni were “doing their best in very poor circumstances” She said staff reported needing “significant upskilling” to provide care for children with complex mental health needs The decision comes as the Government admits it's aware of more problems at the facility Oranga Tamariki acting chief executive Sir Wira Gardiner reiterated his promise that the care residences would be wound down within four years He said Oranga Tamariki would be building 10 smaller houses which would take in fewer children and staff This would replace the care and protection residences "Oranga Tamariki is undergoing a period of extensive change I am doing everything possible to right the wrongs and fix the hurt." On Wednesday, it emerged that the manager at Te Oranga knew staff used excessive force against a child but failed to report it Several staff at the Christchurch facility have now been stood down Sir Wira said yesterday he only found out about the use of excessive force when the Newsroom report was published That's despite multiple reports from the Children's Commissioner where young people repeatedly said staff were using excessive force in Oranga Tamariki's residences. Data released to 1 NEWS through the Official Information Act shows that between April 1, 2017 and June 30, 2020, three young people died of suicide while a ward of the state. Oranga Tamariki does not collate data on the number of children in its care who have mental health needs or who have attempted suicide, saying it would be too much work to collate data from individual case files. Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one but one has spent years breaking the law while the other just pays a steep price for sharing his name Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters the building was extensively renovated with funding sourced from the sale of its Mount Wellington site and a $1000 tithe from Destiny Church members Business Man's cigarette smuggling attempt stubbed out Customs said the body-packing of the more than 1600 cigarettes was "an attempt to defraud Customs revenue" Wellington Airport's giant eagles to depart terminal "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them." New Zealand Lake Alice survivor legally challenges Crown redress Malcolm Richards was 15 when he went to Lake Alice and said he still lived with the impacts of being drugged 4 mins ago Wellington's famous eagles will take flight from the airport this week after 12 years in the terminal They will be replaced by a new display that is currently being kept under wraps Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said that the departure of the birds (and their passenger Gandalf) will be emotional for staff "They have been a huge success and travellers from around the world have loved admiring them After 12 years it's the right time for them to fly the nest “We’re working with Wētā Workshop on some exciting plans for a unique locally themed replacement to take their place." The eagles were created by Wētā Workshop as a tie-in with the Hobbit movies and unveiled in December 2013 Each bird weighs 1.2 tonnes and has a 15-metre wingspan Wētā Workshop co-founder and chief creative officer Richard Taylor said it's a "bittersweet moment" saying goodbye to them "There are many more stories to be told and we're looking forward to working with Wellington Airport on bringing a new chapter to life."  The eagles will be taken down and disassembled on Friday May 9 and placed into storage with long-term plans for them still yet to be decided "We’ll unveil what’s next later this year so keep watching the skies," Clarke said Tolkien fans will be relieved to know that Smaug the Magnificent will remain in the check-in area A Flaxmere man tortured as a child at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital is taking the Crown to court Malcolm Richards will file a claim in the High Court at Wellington later this morning seeking a judicial review of Cabinet's redress decision Those tortured at the Manawatū psychiatric facility had until last week to choose a rapid payment of $150,000 or head to arbitration The redress scheme only applies to survivors who are still alive that had been subjected to electric shocks and/or paraldehyde injections but Richards has refused the redress on principle "No way I'm taking part in it because it's not legal We can't allow the perpetrator of this crime Richards was 15-years-old when he went to Lake Alice and said he still lived with the impacts of being drugged He was the second survivor to successfully argue his case at the United Nations committee that urged the New Zealand government to compensate him Richards believes December's redress package breaches Article 14 of the United Nations' Torture Convention This article states each country must ensure in its legal system that victims of torture obtain redress and have an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation including the means for as full a rehabilitation as possible It also states that if a victim of torture dies their dependants are entitled to compensation Richards' lawyer Chris Griggs said Cabinet's redress decision hasn't been legislated excludes survivors who were tortured by means other than shocks and injections and provides ex-gratia compensation that can't be enforced or effectively challenged in court New Zealand ratified the Convention against Torture in 1989 but with a reservation that the government reserves the right to award compensation to torture victims only at the discretion of the Attorney-General of New Zealand The government has said New Zealand is the first country in the world to acknowledge torture of children and provide compensation to recognise their suffering Griggs said the case was a simple one that boiled down to the government needing to comply with international human rights laws "A lot of survivors are telling me what's happening is like a serious crime has been committed by the government so the government goes into a room with the victim and tells them this is what the penalty will be and no correspondence will be entered into Griggs said he would be asking the court to essentially "quash" Cabinet's decision and declare the government needed to comply with international minimum standards While the United Nations didn't have any teeth by way of enforcing these standards Griggs said it was New Zealand's reputation on the line "New Zealand holds itself out to be a champion of human rights We're the first country to speak out on breaches of human rights standards overseas We don't comply with the International minimum standards for remedying torture." "I have heard stories of children being lined up against a wall with their backs to the staff and having syringes full of paraldehyde thrown at their bottoms like a dartboard New Zealand must live up to what happened and the only way we can do that is by complying with the international minimum standards laid down by the Torture Convention." Griggs has drafted a bill to set up an independent tribunal to assess torture claims and compensation and says there's already precedent for this type of arrangement "You might remember many years ago we had a big problem in New Zealand with leaky buildings so the government set up the water weathertight homes tribunal to deal with that problem "Here we have a situation where the government has tortured a whole bunch of New Zealanders over a number of years and international law requires there to be an equivalent process "All we're saying is just treat the survivors of Lake Alice and the other institutions in New Zealand where people have been tortured in the same way you've treated people who've had problems with the weather tightness of their homes Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report no amount of money could make up for what survivors endured "Their stories of abuse were harrowing and heartbreaking Obviously the UN made a determination on Lake Alice quite rightly around torture we've worked hard to make sure we've put in place a redress system to make sure people are compensated for that no amount of money frankly makes up for what survivors have endured." The government's focus was on making sure it acknowledged and formally apologised supported survivors with a better redress system and prevent abuse through improving the operating practices of key government agencies Richards has taken up woodworking in his shed as a means of coping with stress and trauma "It's just what I found that I can lose myself in and when things become too much I just go out to my shed and start cutting out stuff and making stuff." He does not see the point in taking the rapid payment that has been offered by the Crown "[The Minister responsible Erica Stanford] rang me before she made that announcement and I told her no way I'm taking part in it because it's not legal to set their own sentence," Richards said "What's the point of taking $150,000 and living with this.. it gets so much for me that I've gotta go out and lock myself in the shed away from my family." Richards said he had been trying to access support through ACC for special items like screwing teeth — normal dentures give him flashbacks to being gagged at Lake Alice — and a phone plan — he is forgetful and uses his phone to remind him about appointments and medications But challenging the Crown's redress was about more than just money "There's more to this than $150,000 cash The investigation is the most important thing." The Lake Alice redress scheme is separate from Cabinet decisions about the wider redress system for those abused in state care rnz.co.nz The site where Matthew Steven's body and car were found on the Paekakariki Hill Road Forensic scientists have spent a week at a house in Epuni combing it for evidence that a murdered local man who was an extra in two Peter Jackson movies was attacked there The investigation into the mysterious killing of Matthew Stevens is framed by three locations: the home he left at 10pm two Thursdays ago address he told family he was going to visit and the steep bush-clad spot 31km away off Paekakariki Hill Rd where his body was found near his white Toyota Corolla Police are satisfied he had not been in a road accident and that the stab wounds that caused his death were not inflicted inside the car The scene to the layman appears as though the car has rolled off the road and been stopped from plunging much further down the 70-degree bank into the thickly vegetated gully by one or two broad-trunked bushes Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Sears acknowledged the murder was as much a wheredunnit as a whodunnit Adding to the mysteries of the case is that Mr Stevens' body was found near the car after dawn by a member of the public six hours after police attended what was then thought to be an abandoned car Mr Sears said an autopsy indicated Mr Stevens had been beaten Mr Stevens was last seen alive about 10.30pm leaving a Lower Hutt supermarket with a six-pack of beer The armed offenders squad raided the Oxford Tce address early last Saturday At least three adults were in the house at the time The tenant of the Housing New Zealand property is a woman aged about 30 with young children Police are uncertain whether the males lived there or were visitors Mr Sears said the occupants had been spoken to but the exact relationship Mr Stevens had with them had not been determined He was known to others at the house besides the woman A neighbour told the Herald the woman moved in about two months ago She had not heard anything untoward the night Mr Stevens died The occupants have moved out and forensic scientists have spent the week at the cordoned-off house searching for clues Police have yet to get results from forensics Examinations are still to determine whether or not it is," Mr Sears said On Wednesday night - six days after Mr Stevens went missing - Paekakariki Hill Rd was closed while forensic examinations were done in the area where his car and body were found Police were yet to work out what occurred there: a homicide or whether Mr Stevens was murdered elsewhere and disposed of in the bush overlooking Kapiti Island "This wasn't a motor vehicle accident," police said The only personal item yet to be found is one of Mr Stevens' brown leather shoes Police are working to build a picture of Mr Stevens and associates including comments threatening retribution One posting said: "You didn't have to take his life but I pray someone takes yours baldhead." by all accounts he was highly regarded and loved by family described him as artistic and "a meaning-of-life junkie searching for answers" who loved his mother Christine's cooking so much he never thought of leaving home He had worked as a painter and landscaper and was about to become a truck driver had done community-development charity work in the Philippines and was prone to offering random acts of kindness A drummer during his days at Wellington High School he played with musicians who went on to find success in the band The Phoenix Foundation and more recently explored his artistic side by studying drama and gaining bit parts in Sir Peter Jackson's films King Kong Mr Hindmarsh said family and friends were left with overwhelming grief and unanswered questions Matthew Stevens left here about 10pm on Thursday with the intention of visiting 78 Oxford Tce in Epuni Being treated as though it is a crime scene It has been taped off for a week and forensic scientists have been working at the property each day It was raided by the armed offenders squad less than 24 hours after Mr Stevens' body was found police say they are yet to establish whether Mr Stevens actually arrived here or his relationship with people linked to the address The tenant is a woman aged about 30 who has children A woman and "a number of men" were at the house when it was raided