A “Three Strikes” crime policy that would see violent offenders receive life sentences for a third offense is likely to increase the level of unreported domestic violence, according to an informal survey by the lobby group Rethinking Crime and Punishment. The survey conducted among offenders, ex-offenders and their families showed that;

victims of family violence would be less likely to report violence against them from their partners, if they knew it would be followed by imprisonment without parole, in the case of a second strike, or 25 years in prison on the third strike. The common reaction of the partners was, `I don’t want to put my old man away in prison for a long time; I just want him to stop hitting me’.

Domestic violence makes up a large percentage of violent crime in New Zealand, with levels of violent crime outside the home remaining almost steady over the last decade, but domestic violence on the increase, a fact accounted for largely by increased reporting.

Confidential documents issued under the Official Information Act and obtained by the Dominion Post news paper also show that the Government has been warned the policy could breach human rights, cause misbehavior in prison, and clog courts, and Te Puni Kokiri (Ministry of Maori Development) has said criminals might attempt to avoid arrest by seriously injuring or killing victims or police. Kim Workman of Rethinking Crime and Punishment told the New Zealand Herald that this had been the experience in the USA.

The Three-strikes bill is an ACT Party policy that has been introduced to parliament by the National Party as part of their support agreement, though Justice Minister Simon Power has conceded it may not make it into law.