Convicted of 24 counts of rape, Malcolm Rewa will be eligible for parole in just two years.

This despite the widely accepted truth that it was Rewa who killed Susan Burdett in 1994.

As it happened, New Zealand Police only ever located enough evidence to convict Malcolm Rewa on rape charges, never for murder.

Instead, determined to secure a murder conviction on the Burdett case, Police neatly coerced a confession from another man.

Since this other man, Teina Pora, has now had those charges against him quashed, the Burdett murder case is back on.

Now Burdett’s family are the ones applying the pressure – they want Rewa tried and convicted of the murder they know he committed.

Alas Police maintain that as no further evidence on the Burdett case has come to light, there is still insufficient evidence to charge Rewa with the crime…

How about the fact that the only reason those two juries sitting for the Malcolm Rewa murder trial were unable to reach a conclusion, was because they knew Police had already secured a confession from 17-year-old Pora? How could the jury on the Rewa case realistically remain impartial when they knew another man had already taken the blame? How about now though, since the initial scapegoat has been acquitted, how about finding the truth?

…Essentially meaning that once Malcolm Rewa has served the remainder of his sentence, for the rape of 24 women, in the eyes of the New Zealand judicial system he’ll be a free man.

Never mind, hopefully they’ll be able to get him in a few years’ time, after he rapes and murders again.

Article by Tim Walker

Edited by Jude Ascil

Photography by Trav S Tay