The big story in NZ is the kidnapping of an 8 mo girl. The story as known so far:
- Girl is adopted daughter.
- Two parents are Eddie Durie (High Court judge) and Donna Hall (prominent Maori lawyer).
- Both were heavily involved with pro-Maori legal action.
- Durie chairs the Waitangi Tribunal, which decides the fate of Maori restitution claims. (Many went in favour of Maori)
- Hall worked on such claims, some successful.
- Hall was made the National Business Review rich list, which suggested she was worth $10M.
- Maori activists seem to be happy with Hall and Durie.
- Hall, Durie, and their daughter are all Maori.
- At 11:30am yesterday a slim Caucasian in late 30s to early 40s, either balding or with closely cropped greying hair, wearing black jeans and a jacket, approached Hall who was pushing her daughter in a strolle accompanied by two neices.
- He said something to Hall, but there appears to be some doubt about what he said.
- The getaway car, a two-tone Mitsubishi Galant, had plates that had been stolen 2 years before.
- Because of the stolen plates and gun, it's being treated as a planned abduction.
- There has been no contact from the abductor.
Is it a White is Right nutter? Urban Maori were excluded from the lucrative fisheries settlement--perhaps an urban activist. Then again, it could have been an opportunistic grab, and the abductor was very unlucky to have kidnapped the child of a prominent couple. Is it the original family of the adopted daughter?
To make things juicier, on the same day there was a murder ("garotted or knifed") in the same part of town.
Links: 1, 2, 3, 4.
--Nat
Scratch that theory
gnat on 2002-04-15T00:09:04
Stuff reports that the baby was adopted from Hall's sister. Unlikely to be a grudge there.
--Nat
Maori
pudge on 2002-04-16T15:34:20
What is Maori?
Re:Maori
gnat on 2002-04-16T22:45:18
Google would have told you :-) Indigenous race of New Zealand, akin to the Native Americans. They're in a much better position now, though, than the Native Americans.
--Nat
Re:Maori
pudge on 2002-04-16T23:01:40
I did look at Google, but from the few sites I looked at, I guessed that they were an indigenous people, but didn't understand their significance. Comparing them to Native Americans gives me enough context, though, I think. Even though I'd say we did nothing wrong, ever, to Native Americans, because AMERICA IS PERFECT! ;)
