Brother queries dying woman’s prison sentence

"To me it's pretty obvious race plays into it.'' Dave Letele

Terminally ill ex-prisoner Vicki Letele is enjoying her first full day out of jail, but her brother Dave Letele said she should never have been behind bars in the first place.

Letele, aka professional boxer ‘‘The Brown Buttabean’’, said his sister’s case highlighted institutional racism in New Zealand.

The mother of three was serving a jail term of three years and two months for mortgage fraud but was released on Thursday on compassionate grounds, eight months into her sentence.

She has been told by doctors she may live just four more months after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Yesterday morning, Dave Letele said his sister was recovering from a ‘‘rollercoaster’’ day that involved eight hours of chemotherapy followed by the surprise Parole Board decision to release her and an emotional reunion with her family.

He said he was concerned his sister was jailed for a crime for which many others received home detention.

Institutional racism was a factor in the way she’s been treated through the justice system, he said.

‘‘To me it’s pretty obvious race plays into it. ‘‘Our system’s broken. ‘‘This shouldn’t happen in New Zealand but it does,’’ he said.

‘‘She got sentenced to three years and her co-offender, who’s not Maori, got home detention

‘‘I don’t know who to blame. It’s the justice system as a whole, society really is also to blame.

‘‘I know certainly right now that if I was going to court I would much rather be a European man. That’s not right.

‘‘It’s a shame. That’s the way it is at the moment.’’

A groundswell of support and protests outside Wiri prison preceded Vicki Letele’s release, after the Parole Board initially declined her bid to spend time at home.

Dave Letele said she was now planning to make the most of her freedom and spend her final days with her partner and three children, aged between three and 19.

She turns 36 on Monday and they were hosting a birthday celebration.

Her case gained national publicity and drew the attention of several politicians, who spoke out on her behalf.

Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox said on Thursday she was ‘‘elated’’ to hear of her release but added: ‘‘I have no doubt when I compare Vicki’s situation to other cases that she was prejudiced [against] because she’s a Maori.

‘‘There is institutional racism in the justice system and we will continue to highlight that.’’

The Parole Board ruled that upon release, Letele must reside at a specified address and not move from that address without the prior written approval of a probation officer.

She is forbidden from giving financial advice and from handling or managing money.

Corrections Minister Judith Collins earlier said she felt a ‘‘huge amount of compassion’’ for Letele and her family but the decision was ultimately up to the Parole Board. - Fairfax NZ