NZ Court Rejects Appeal, Upholding 9-month Home-D Sentence for Rapist
October 20, 2022
A New Zealand high court has rejected the Crown’s appeal against a community sentence for a convicted teenage rapist – despite calling the sentence “manifestly inadequate” – sparking fresh concerns for victims of sexual violence.
Jayden Meyer, 18, was found guilty in the youth court of four counts of rape and one of sexual assault committed when he was 16, against five victims, all aged 15. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained that the activity had been consensual.
In July, a district court judge sentenced Meyer to nine months home detention, followed by 12 months of judicial monitoring.