Mother’s plea for tougher sentences after gang killing goes viral

Sonya Oakes’ son, Eru Oakes, 29, died in October after being found with a gunshot wound at his Te Puke home. Three men have been charged with his murder. As she supports her four surviving sons through their trauma, Oakes has turned her grief into a public campaign pushing for stronger consequences for violent offenders.

Her petition for “Eru’s Law” calls for three main changes.

First, longer sentences for violent crime, especially homicide. She says current penalties “don’t reflect the harm caused” and believes offenders who take a life should face significantly tougher consequences.

Second, she wants to remove or sharply restrict sentence discounts, including reductions for guilty pleas, youth, cultural reports and expressions of remorse. The petition also calls for limits on what she describes as “excessive judicial discretion” that can reduce sentences far below what families expect.

Third, Oakes is seeking broader justice reforms through a new Facebook page, Justice for Eru, which has attracted more than 5000 followers. She says it is a place “to speak for my boy” and to connect with other families affected by violent crime. Many supporters have written that change is “long overdue”.

Oakes says her goal is a safer country and a justice system that “reflects the value of the lives taken”. More than 3000 people have already signed the petition on Parliament’s website, and the number is rising quickly as the story spreads.

Centrist Ltd.