0 Hey Hone; there's no "if" in sorry

Hone Harawira has apologised (in a manner of speaking) for trivialising the alleged sex assault by a Malaysian military attache on a Wellington woman. The Dom-Post reports:

Mana Party leader Hone Harawira has apologised for calling the row over a sexual assault charge against a diplomat "bugger all."
The Te Tai Tokerau MP made the remarks on political panel show Backbenches last week.
Asked on the show about the political storm around alleged attacker Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail, Harawira said: "I think all of the media, their heads should roll for making a big fuss about bugger all."
The country was facing more pressing matters such as "kids starving", he said.
Harawira added: "Let's just keep it there, it's allegedly, and so until such time that this sorts its self out, let's get on with running the country in the best interests of all off the citizens."
Now Harawira says he made a "big mistake" and praised Tania Billingsley, the 22-year-old victim of the alleged attack, for speaking out about mishandling of the case. 

There's just one problem; Harawira's apology is far from unconditional; read on:

Billingsley spoke on TV3's Third Degree programme last night about the events surrounding the granting of diplomatic immunity to the diplomat.
In a Facebook post this morning, Harawira said: "I want to sincerely apologise if my comments on Backbenches may seem to have minimised the gravity of the situation regarding the young woman who asked police to investigate the complaint of sexual assault against the Malaysian diplomat.
"I have reviewed the tape and I accept that my comments were not helpful at all.
"Sexual assault IS a big deal, and I applaud Tania Rose Billingsley for her brave and courageous appearance on television last night."
Internet Party leader Laila Harre, who has formed a political alliance with Harawira, said the apology was "very sincere."
In a tweet, she added: "Kia haha [sic] to Ms Billingsley." 

Sorry Hone, but prefacing an "apology" with "I want to sincerely apologise if..." is not an apology at all in our books. Real apologies are unconditional, and leave no wiggle-room.

What Mr Harawira should have said was something like this:

"I made a comment last week that was wrong. I apologise unreservedly. Sexual assaults are never a trivial matter"

Apologies have been in the news a bit in the last week. We're far from perfect, and have made plenty of apologies of our own over the years. If any politicians need help in the language of apologies, we'd be only too happy to help! 

0 Diplomatic name suppression lifted

We were sent a link this morning which identified the diplomat who invoked diplomatic immunity and fled New Zealand after an alleged sexual assault. Unlike some, including Labour Party MP Clare Curran, we did not share the link because there was a court-ordered suppression order in force.

However this afternoon, a Wellington District Court Judge has lifted the suppression order, and the diplomat's identity and nationality are now known; the Herald reports:

The diplomat at the centre of an alleged sexual assault case can now be named after media organisations challenged a judge's decision to grant permanent name suppression.
He is Mohammed Rizalman Bin Ismail and worked at the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington.
Ismail, who claimed diplomatic immunity, could not initially be identified because of a suppression order imposed by a Wellington District Court judge on May 30.
However, Malaysian media were now reporting the case, and its Foreign Affairs Ministry planned to hold a press conference about it today.
An urgent hearing to overturn the suppression ruling was held in the High Court at Wellington today, where the name suppression was overturned.
Media organisations, including the New Zealand Herald, challenged the decision to grant name suppression.
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully earlier said the Solicitor-General had advised the Government abide by the suppression ruling while it was in place.
"I can't see any good public policy reason why you'd want to protect someone from publicity given there won't be a trial."
Ismail, in his 30s, left the country after being charged by Wellington police with burglary and assault with intent to rape.
He had followed a 21-year-old woman to her Brooklyn home on May 9 when the alleged assault occurred.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs formally asked for Malaysia to waive diplomatic immunity, but it declined.

It is unfortunate that the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry would not waive diplomatic immunity in Ishmail's case. He has been charged with serious criminal offences in New Zealand, and ought to have faced charges here. However as a signatory to the Vienna Convention, New Zealand authorities had to accept Malaysia's decision.

It is to be hoped that Ishmail will face sanctions in his home country which would be as severe as those likely to be imposed by a New Zealand court. No one, as John Banks discovered recently, is above the law. The Malaysian Government will be making a statement in the next couple of hours, and it will be interesting to hear what action they plan to take.