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Posted at 12:02PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Yup, Tony Veitch has to go if anything like what has been said is true. Goddam it, it's just not OK.
It's a great campaign and (as if the actions themselves didn't warrant it) the undermining of it alone should be cause enough to get him booted.
Up until I heard the viciousness of the assault I was fence-sitting, probably because of the image he portrayed on screen - I liked the guy (or the image) but if he's done what it has been said, there is no longer any doubt in my mind.

Posted at 12:06PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Possibly one of the most sickening things about the whole Veitch affair has been the "Your Views" crowd (not that we should have expected better) expressing opinions along the lines of "he's a good guy and it was ages ago, so we should forget about it". Talk about trivialising things.

Combined with his comments about Serena Williams, I think it's fairly safe to draw from this that Veitch is a nasty piece of work who has no place on our screens. I can't help feeling sorry for his wife, though - no matter how much she knew, she probably never expected it to become so excruciatingly public.

Posted at 12:09PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Up until I heard the viciousness of the assault I was fence-sitting, probably because of the image he portrayed on screen - I liked the guy (or the image) but if he's done what it has been said, there is no longer any doubt in my mind.

I wasn't horribly impressed by his description of it as "lashing out", either - if he'd punched her once, that would be apt. But pushing someone to the ground and kicking them so hard you break their back isn't "lashing out", it's - I don't even know if vicious is strong enough.

Posted at 12:15PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

I'm not so sure he should be prosecuted. Isn't it up to the victim whether to make a complaint? She chose not to, and I think we should respect her choice.

The police should investigate to make sure she wasn't coerced into anything, but surely they have better things to do than prosecute in a case that the parties involved have already settled independently.

That said, I don't have any sympathy for him either, and won't lose any sleep if he never works in the media again. You do something as stupid as that, you gotta deal with the consequences.

Posted at 12:17PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Sorry to say, I've had a reliable source confirm the extent of the injuries.

If truly contrite I'd like Veitch to volunteer for the campaign.

Posted at 12:19PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Aren't there quite a few precedents for (sports-related) public figures getting away with domestic violence accusations relatively unscathed?

I'm not making excuses for that little jerk, but Joe Public might well get confused. Yes the 'he's a good guy' comments over on Stuff are way dumb.

Didn't [name under suppression redacted -- please try not to do this --RB] get dropped for dragging his partner out of the house by her hair? (I may be remembering the folklore and not the facts ...). He was later back playing top rugby in NZ.

Posted at 12:22PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

I'm so glad you chose to talk about this, Russell. I have talked about it a lot to other people in the last couple of days, and some of the reactions have been stunning. This whole affair is just so wrong on so many levels. To visit violence of such force on a person, and to have no legal consequences for it? Are you kidding me? I'm left fairly speechless by the whole thing tbh. Where do you start? Of course the guy should be fired, of course there should be legal consequence. Bloody hell. And he convinced her to shut up about it - he broke her back, and panicked and it was hushed up. Wrong, wrong, wrong. He bashed the crap out of her, and excuses it in his statement as fatigue, being on medication etc. Wrong, wrong, wrong. It was a mutual agreement he says. More like she was scared shitless of him. Jesus.

Posted at 12:22PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

I can't help feeling sorry for his wife, though - no matter how much she knew, she probably never expected it to become so excruciatingly public.

i'm assuming you're talking about zoe halford. if so, don't feel bad for her.

with a mug like that she'll be on every [woman's] magazine from here to kingdom come in no time. her career is about to take off.

tony's on the other hand should be sleeping with the fishes.

Posted at 12:23PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Gareth, that simply isn't the case. Criminal law is not private - the police are free to prosecute without a complaint from a victim. Consider the alternative - if a complaint was required, the attacker of someone left in a coma could never be prosecuted.

The problem here is a lack of evidence. Saying "I lashed out" isn't the same as saying "I broke her back in 4 places". Absent a full confession from Veitch, or evidence from his ex, it'll be difficult to get a conviction.

Posted at 12:23PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

I'm outraged.

Posted at 12:25PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Nine To Noon's discussion this morning was very interesting. The guy who works with violent men (can't recall his name) pointed out that one of the big issues in domestic violence is men attempting to conceal it, and thereby minimise his responsibility.

Veitch did exactly that, when he really should have publicly taken responsibility. Perhaps there would have been a glimmer of hope of him maintaining his career. Not now, he's made too many bad choices.

This is the option that Veitch, a sports journalist, has taken: the sportsman's path to redemption; the media conference confessional.

It's an exercise in weaseling, as far as I'm concerned. He offered "no excuses", except the ones he goes on to state. FFS, I don't care how stress out you are, violence is a choice not a symptom.

For better or worse, this sorry affair is going to be an example to violent men everywhere. I hope Veitch's employers considered this when deciding what action they are going to take.

Posted at 12:25PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Also - excuse me, settling criminal matters privately? Do you want to go back to the middle ages days of paying a blood price to pay off a murder?

They are great, honking, very obvious public policy reasons that we don't allow people to contract out of criminal responsibility.

Posted at 12:27PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Aren't there quite a few precedents for (sports-related) public figures getting away with domestic violence accusations relatively unscathed?

No, I think in general they've been prosecuted and dealt with in ways commensurate with the offence. The idea that All Blacks habitually get away with these things is hard to stand up.

Didn't [name under suppression redacted -- please try not to do this --RB] get dropped for dragging his partner out of the house by her hair?

This is the case I referred to in the post. The player's wife left the house in a nightgown after an argument, and he tried to drag her back to the house (not, so far as the details were reported, by the hair). It was an assault, but it barely compares with the current case.

Posted at 12:27PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

His behaviour at the time was utterly reprehensible and inexcusable. Breaking someone's vertabrae like this is not just "lashing out" as far as I am concerned. His reaction in public has been less than commendable, and to me appears to be a self-erving attempt all about saving his career.
I hope he is never on our screens again.

I would really love to know how much and for how long TVNZ knew about all this.

Posted at 12:29PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

You do something as stupid as that

There are a lot of words I'd use to describe his actions, but 'stupid' seems rather too complimentary. 'Stupid' is locking your keys in the car or forgetting your mum's birthday... not breaking your girlfriend's back.

Posted at 12:34PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

Absent a full confession from Veitch, or evidence from his ex, it'll be difficult to get a conviction.

surely the police can get access to her medical records from the hospital that treated her, confirm the date of the event and there is the proof they need? also, i would think they would be able to get a copy of the agreement - surely they can require vietch or his lawyers to provide them with it?

the other worrying thing here is the alleged time lapse between when the injuries were sustained and ms dunne-powell reached the hospital. i would hate to think what might have been happening in that period of time.

Posted at 12:35PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

I would really love to know how much and for how long TVNZ knew about all this.

Yes, Michael. In fact, we should demand to know. (ditto: Radio Network).

If his employers knew (and it seems that at least some people did), then they should be resigning themselves. To cover this up was both morally indefensible and incredibly stupid.

Posted at 12:35PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

am i a total Pollyanna for hoping that people are able to be rehabilitated?

Posted at 12:35PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

I would really love to know how much and for how long TVNZ knew about all this.

Ditto.

Posted at 12:37PM on 10 Jul 08. Permalink.

the other worrying thing here is the alleged time lapse between when the injuries were sustained and ms dunne-powell reached the hospital. i would hate to think what might have been happening in that period of time.

That troubles me a lot too.