New Zealoand
By EMILY WATT
The Dominion Post
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
A woman who fatally stabbed her Cambodian neighbour 150 times because she refused to babysit has been freed from prison - and her victim's son says he has forgiven her.
Janine Rongonui was initially jailed for life for murdering Pheap Im, a mother of two, in her home in Miramar, Wellington, in June 1998.
Mrs Im, 34, who had survived the killing fields of Cambodia and thought she had found safety in New Zealand as a refugee, was tortured for her bankcard details before being stabbed.
Rongonui, now 43, finished the attack by kicking the body to check she was dead.
Mrs Im's children, aged 14 and 12 at the time, came home from school to find the house ransacked and their mother dead, covered in blood.
Rongonui, whose murder conviction was reduced to 10½ years for manslaughter on appeal, was first eligible for release three years ago.
But the Parole Board used special powers to keep her in jail on the grounds that there was a risk of her reoffending. However, she had to be freed by September.
She was let out earlier this month into the care of a mental health service provider under strict conditions.
Mrs Im's son, who asked not to be identified, said the family had done their best to ensure that Rongonui served her full jail sentence, but he had forgiven his mother's killer.
"I have, because part of me and part of what I believe is you have to forgive. It's sometimes hard, but as a Christian you want to forgive people's mistakes."
He said life had been difficult for him and his sister, who were brought up by their father after the killing.
"Especially for [my sister] being the first one to walk in on [the scene] by herself."
He still thinks of his mother regularly. "She's in our hearts."
Mrs Im's nephew said 10 years was not enough punishment for his aunt's death and he felt let down by the justice system.
He said it never got easier, and he had sympathy for his cousins, who had grown up without a mother. "Everything broke apart, everyone scattered like ashes. Someone has broken us apart."
Rongonui's release was "like someone punching you", he said. "It's a reminder of what she did to my aunty. It's like a fresh punch."
The family had asked that she not be freed into the same city as them, and the nephew feared she would reoffend.
At the time of the killing, Rongonui was found to have severe depression and to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
She suffered brain damage from physical abuse and functioned at the intelligence level of a child.
She has been freed under residential restrictions, formerly known as home detention, for the next three months and must remain at the same address at all times. After that, she must stay at the same address and will be subject to a weekend curfew.
The Parole Board was told that Rongonui had "complex mental health problems", but her health was stable and a lot of effort had gone into providing her with support.
"We are satisfied that everything possible has been done to ensure that, on release, a structured community support network is in place to maintain Ms Rongonui's mental wellbeing, thereby reducing her risks to herself and the public," the board said.
By EMILY WATT
The Dominion Post
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
A woman who fatally stabbed her Cambodian neighbour 150 times because she refused to babysit has been freed from prison - and her victim's son says he has forgiven her.
Janine Rongonui was initially jailed for life for murdering Pheap Im, a mother of two, in her home in Miramar, Wellington, in June 1998.
Mrs Im, 34, who had survived the killing fields of Cambodia and thought she had found safety in New Zealand as a refugee, was tortured for her bankcard details before being stabbed.
Rongonui, now 43, finished the attack by kicking the body to check she was dead.
Mrs Im's children, aged 14 and 12 at the time, came home from school to find the house ransacked and their mother dead, covered in blood.
Rongonui, whose murder conviction was reduced to 10½ years for manslaughter on appeal, was first eligible for release three years ago.
But the Parole Board used special powers to keep her in jail on the grounds that there was a risk of her reoffending. However, she had to be freed by September.
She was let out earlier this month into the care of a mental health service provider under strict conditions.
Mrs Im's son, who asked not to be identified, said the family had done their best to ensure that Rongonui served her full jail sentence, but he had forgiven his mother's killer.
"I have, because part of me and part of what I believe is you have to forgive. It's sometimes hard, but as a Christian you want to forgive people's mistakes."
He said life had been difficult for him and his sister, who were brought up by their father after the killing.
"Especially for [my sister] being the first one to walk in on [the scene] by herself."
He still thinks of his mother regularly. "She's in our hearts."
Mrs Im's nephew said 10 years was not enough punishment for his aunt's death and he felt let down by the justice system.
He said it never got easier, and he had sympathy for his cousins, who had grown up without a mother. "Everything broke apart, everyone scattered like ashes. Someone has broken us apart."
Rongonui's release was "like someone punching you", he said. "It's a reminder of what she did to my aunty. It's like a fresh punch."
The family had asked that she not be freed into the same city as them, and the nephew feared she would reoffend.
At the time of the killing, Rongonui was found to have severe depression and to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
She suffered brain damage from physical abuse and functioned at the intelligence level of a child.
She has been freed under residential restrictions, formerly known as home detention, for the next three months and must remain at the same address at all times. After that, she must stay at the same address and will be subject to a weekend curfew.
The Parole Board was told that Rongonui had "complex mental health problems", but her health was stable and a lot of effort had gone into providing her with support.
"We are satisfied that everything possible has been done to ensure that, on release, a structured community support network is in place to maintain Ms Rongonui's mental wellbeing, thereby reducing her risks to herself and the public," the board said.
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