Six killed in violent crimes

Four women among slain

Violence against women dominated the list of murders in Canterbury in 2012.

There have been six murders in the region this year.

Four of the victims were women who suffered fatal injuries at the hands of people they allegedly knew.

Two of them were young mothers. One victim’s 3-yearold child was in the house when the killing occurred and may have heard her mother’s screams for help.

An arrest was made in all six cases.

Three of those arrested pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. The others are still before the courts.

The year also saw a significant development in a long-running murder investigation, with an arrest made over the 2008 killing of Christchurch prostitute Mellory Manning.

Mauha Huatahi Fawcett, 24, unemployed, was arrested in Auckland in March, with a trial set down for next year.

Still unresolved are the murders of Alfred Anderson (1982), John Reynolds (1996)

People keep silent when they see relationships falling apart or abusive relationships. Everyone is to blame when things fall apart. We need to know.

and Kirsty Bentley (1998).

Crime statistics in July showed the number of murders increased significantly in Canterbury for the 2011-12 financial year, with 10 recorded. This compared with three in 2010-11 and five in 2009-10.

District crime manager Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald said Canterbury’s homicide numbers were in

Detective Inspector Tom Fitzgerald

District crime manager

line with what could be expected nationally.

‘‘We would obviously hope for less,’’ he said.

‘‘One is too many, but we’ve got to be realistic. We are going to get homicides [and] we are prepared for it.’’

He said the domesticrelated, male-versus-female aspect to murders this year reflected an ‘‘unfortunate’’ international trend.

Fitzgerald said police had a new prevention focus that included intervening in violence and ‘‘problem families’’ early.

‘‘People keep silent when they see relationships falling apart or abusive relationships. Everyone is to blame when things fall apart. We need to know – from families, from neighbours.’’

He attributed Canterbury’s high success rate for solving murders to having experienced detectives in the region and throwing ‘‘all our resources at homicides’’.

Work was continuing on the Anderson and Reynolds investigations, he said. No officers were actively working on the Bentley inquiry, but the file was still open.

‘‘There are inquiries being done when required,’’ he said.