Sentence slashing cultural reports are not verified

The Waikato Times reports:

Cultural reports, which can cut an offender’s sentence almost in half, rely on information given by the criminal themselves, with no formal obligation on report writers to verify what they are told.

The use of Section 27 cultural reports has leapt dramatically and, according to one High Court judge, they give valuable information to “show how our society has failed children” and how to sentence for better outcomes.

But it comes at a cost of $2.6m and counting in the Waikato, with the reports thrust into the spotlight when ACT leader David Seymour pledged to axe them.

A lawyer can request a cultural report for their client to explain their background. These reports can get an offender a 7% to 45% reduction to their sentence.

It’s almost like the “Get out of jail free” cards in monopoly. This reflects our criminal justice system is now focused on the offenders, not the victims.

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