By Lloyd Burr and Angela Beswick
A petition boasting 58,000 signatures in favour of tightening bail laws has arrived at Parliament this afternoon, hand-delivered by the family of Christie Marceau.
The 18-year-old was murdered in her home on Auckland's North Shore last November.
Her alleged killer, Akshay Chand, was out on bail for kidnapping her two months earlier.
Christie died in her mother's arms.
Her family has spent the past five months gathering signatures to convince the Government to tighten bail laws.
The legislation, dubbed ‘Christie’s Law’, aims to make it harder for those accused of serious crime to get bail.
Watch the video for Adam Ray's report
Christie's mother, Tracey, gave an emotional speech to a small crowd gathered outside Parliament saying she was pleased with the support the campaign had received.
She began her speech with a Marilyn Monroe quote found on her daughter's desktop:
“Beneath the makeup and behind the smile I am just a girl who wishes for the world.”
Mrs Marceau told the crowd their family had been given a “lifetime sentence”.
"She was a little girl with an enormous heart. We are so heart broken and at times it is unbearable. This is a lifetime sentence.
"Her death was avoidable. Criminals have a choice before they commit a crime. Victims do not.”
She says her daughter is a "true loss to New Zealand".
The Marceau family encouraged New Zealanders to "exercise democratic right and submit to the select committee process".
"It has been months of hard work. But the reward is that we are standing here with 52,000 signatures to present to Parliament,” she says.
Family and friends held signs outside Parliament saying 40,000 signatures had been obtained, but Mrs Marceau later confirmed they had reached 58,000.
3 News
source: newshub archive
