Alleged looter with Asperger’s syndrome comes under fire in New Zealand

From Volume 5 Number 5 (Print edition only)

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand: The man accused of looting a central Christchurch home following the earthquake in February 2011 has withdrawn his guilty plea.
            In March, Cornelius Arie Smith-Voorkamp - who has Asperger’s syndrome - pleaded guilty to burglary and possession of equipment for burglary.
             The 25-year-old became the face of looting after he was arrested for stealing light fittings from a damaged home.
             On February 26, he appeared in the Rangiora District Court in Rangiora, Canterbury (Christchurch), where his lawyer told the court the question of guilt was “more delicate” than whether Smith-Voorkamp took the fittings.
             At the time of the incident, Smith-Voorkamp’s foster sister, Shannen Davis, 23, said the young man was driven to stealing light fixtures by his Asperger’s.
             Smith-Voorkamp has been remanded on bail to his CYF foster home, to reappear in a court in Christchurch on June 23. He is staying in a CYF foster home.
             His sister, Shannen, said Smith had been on the TV news and had also been lambasted on a Facebook page calling for the naming and shaming of looters. However, she said he was “a good kid” who had never been in trouble.
             “I am not excusing what he’s done. Stealing any property is bad, but it’s due to his condition that he’s done what he’s done,” Davis said.
            “His ticks, for want of a better explanation, are for electrical things that are very old and would be classed as junk by anyone else.
            “He’s never been in trouble with the police before and he’s a good kid. If he was to see something like that, like old light bulbs and old switches, he would be completely ecstatic about it.
             “There are some people that are very against looting, and so they should be in this situation, but Arie is the person who has been flashed on the TV.
             “We need people in Christchurch to understand it’s an illness and it’s not OK to judge him before you know the full situation. He’s had a lot of threats made against him. He might not be able to walk around his neighbourhood now.”
             Smith was originally denied bail when he appeared in a makeshift court in Christchurch. He was remanded in custody to Christchurch Men’s Prison.
             Autism New Zealand’s chief executive, Alison Molloy, said that a characteristic of Asperger’s syndrome was an “almost obsessive” approach to hobbies or collecting.
             Smith may have been unable to realise the consequences of his actions, she said.
            “Right now, the focus should be on supporting people such as Arie Smith. We believe New Zealanders need to take a moment and consider the case of Arie Smith and the lack of awareness that caused him to be ‘the face of looting’,” Molloy said.

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Alleged looter with Asperger’s syndrome comes under fire in New Zealand

Looking Up, 16-page English PDF Edition, Back Issues and Current Issue

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