‘Women have died in this city’
Feona McKay-Patea, Jasmine Wilson and Lorna-Anne Thompson are all women who have been slain in Whanganui in the past six months. The city has had enough.
On the same day as the man accused of murdering McKay-Patea appeared in court, hundreds marched the streets in her memory, denouncing violence against women.
A 26-year-old man from south Taranaki appeared before a Justice of the Peace in Whanganui District Court yesterday.
According to court documents, he allegedly murdered McKay-Patea in Whanganui between September 20 and October 3. She was found on October 3..
The appearance came the day after Whanganui was named New Zealand’s most beautiful city at the Keep Zealand Beautiful Awards but the city’s darker side was deplored at a protest march.
It started at Moutoa Gardens, which backs on to the city’s courthouse, yesterday morning and was organised by Whanganui iwi Nga¯ Paerangi.
Kiritahi Firmin, McKay-Paeta’s aunty, said the march was to honour women in the city who had been tragically taken, including Jasmine
Wilson and Lorna-Anne Thompson, and against violence. ‘‘We are here to hikoi for them. We as Whanganui say no [to violence].’’
A crowd of more than 300 people, including pupils from local kura, chanted the names of homicide victims as they walked from the gardens to Majestic Square.
There was a festive atmosphere to the gathering in the square but the message was a serious one: Violence in Whanganui had to stop.
Firmin asked everyone to close their eyes and think about ‘‘those who have been taken away from us’’.
‘‘Our Whanganui wha¯nau care for one another, so we don’t lose anybody else any more.’’
Hato Pa¯ora College old boys president Mahanga Williams said the organisation was getting old boys to talk to students about grappling with anger.
‘‘It’s easy to put your chest out, got out on the road and spill blood there.
‘‘It’s hard to say, ‘hey brother, I’m a lover, not a fighter’.’’
Retihiamatikei Cribb, who has taught at kura in the area, said she had witnessed children going to school who had only seen violence growing up.
‘‘What do we expect them to produce?’’