By Shannon Pitman, Open Justice reporter
WARNING: This article discusses sexual abuse and may be upsetting to some readers.
Abel Wira, a man with a history of serious offenses, including the rape of a teenage hitchhiker and ownership of starving dogs that fatally attacked someone, has now been convicted of sexually abusing a child.
This conviction is the latest in a series of offenses by Wira, a resident of Far North, who was recently sentenced to prison for the manslaughter of Neville Thomson in a dog attack incident. This case marked the first instance in New Zealand where someone was charged with manslaughter due to their dogs causing a death.
Mauled to death
In 2022, Wira was tasked with house-sitting Thomson’s home in Panguru while Thomson’s landlord was away in the South Island. Wira brought along 23 dogs, including six adults and 17 puppies. Upon Thomson’s return, Wira remained at the property, keeping the dogs confined in a caravan, where they often went unfed for days.
On the morning of August 4, 2022, while Wira was out running errands, the dogs, unfed for two days, escaped and fatally mauled Thomson. In October, Wira received a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for this crime.
Sexual offending
In parallel with the dog mauling case, another legal proceeding was underway in the Kaikohe District Court. In January, Wira faced trial on historical charges involving the rape of a female under 12 and unlawful sexual connection. He was acquitted of all but one charge, where he was found guilty of making a child perform a sexual act on him. The victim claimed it occurred multiple times.
This was Wira’s second encounter with the courts for sexual offenses, having previously served a sentence for raping a teenage hitchhiker in 2003. The incident occurred when the teen accepted a ride from Wira while hitchhiking near Springs Flat, north of Kamo, to Kerikeri. During the journey, she fell asleep, and Wira drove to a secluded area, locking the car doors when she tried to escape. Overpowered, she pretended to be unconscious, and Wira raped her. She managed to escape and find help after Wira stopped in Hikurangi, leading to a six-year prison sentence for him.
‘This is all Mr Wira’s doing’
During Wira’s recent sentencing in the Whangārei District Court, Judge Greg Davis praised the courage of the latest victim for coming forward. “None of what has happened has anything to do with you. This is all Mr Wira’s doing,” he said.
Judge Davis noted that the victim had been “on the run” both physically and mentally since the offense. Crown lawyer Richard Annandale stated that after Wira’s release from prison for previous crimes, he continued to offend against a child, emphasizing that Wira had not ceased his criminal behavior.
Wira’s lawyer, Mathew Ridgley, argued that the sentencing should consider his current manslaughter sentence, noting Wira was eligible for parole at that time. Ultimately, Judge Davis sentenced Wira to an additional six years in prison, to be served consecutively with his current sentence. Wira was also placed on the child sex offender register and will need Parole Board approval for release.
Where to get help:
NZ Police.
Victim Support 0800 842 846.
Rape Crisis: 0800 88 33 00.
Rape Prevention Education.
Empowerment Trust.
HELP (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655.
Safe to talk: 0800 044 334.
Tautoko Tāne Male Survivors Aotearoa.
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496.
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
