Not seeing kids grow up far bigger penance

Ibelieve it’s only when you become a parent that you understand true fear. From the time you first hold that tiny scrap in your arms, your only thought is keeping your child safe. I held my breath throughout my daughter’s adolescence, desperate for her to negotiate her teenage years without falling into the thrall of drugs or a man who would mistreat her.

It is easier once they become young adults but I think I only relaxed when my daughter married a man who loves her as much as her parents do.

I am still a big part of her life and her happiness is important to me, but I no longer feel responsible for her.

I can’t imagine what it must be like to be given a terminal prognosis when you have young children.

The knowledge you will die without seeing your children into adulthood must be the cruellest fate a parent could suffer.

Which is why I support Vicki Letele being released from prison. She is in prison for a greedy crime. A cheap, underhand crime that played on the naivety and desperation of low-income families. A prison sentence was surely justified. I know from talkback callers that fraud can have fatal consequences. Two widows, whose husbands invested their savings in finance companies, told me they believed their husbands died from the stress of losing their life savings.

So lock Letele up and throw away the key, and let’s put a few more fraudsters in prison. Except the karma bus well and truly stopped outside Vicki Letele’s cell.

The 35-year-old has been diagnosed with metastatic cancer and given just months to live. She would be up for parole next year, but her family say that may well be too late. They wanted her home so they can care for her and, more importantly, so she can spend her last months making memories with her three young children.

Initially, the Corrections Department told the family Letele’s needs were being met in prison and denied the family’s appeal for an early release.

After publicity of Letele’s plight officials reviewed the case and granted early release.

There are those who believe Letele should have thought of the consequences of her actions and the impact it would have on her young family before she ripped off vulnerable people.

But she will not see her three young children grow up.

That has to be a far worse punishment than any court could give her. Kerre McIvor is on NewstalkZB, weekdays, noon-4pm