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A former Bay of Plenty man is pleased with the judgement of life imprisonment for the man convicted of involvement in his brother’s death.
Whakatane-born Rob Hamill says Kaing Geak Eav’s sentence for the death of his brother, Kerry, in Cambodia in the 1970s, is satisfying.
Rob Hamill.
“It signals the completion of a chapter in the journey of seeking justice for my brother after he strayed into Cambodian waters in 1978,” says Rob.
“He was abducted by the Khmer Rouge navy, sent to Toul Sleng prison where he was tortured, forced to sign a confession to being a CIA agent and then executed two months after his imprisonment.”
The former champion rower says it has been a long journey, but there is still a long way to go.
“At the first hearing in 2009, I struggled to understand why the prosecution only asked for 40 years.
“I realised jurisprudence relating to Nuremburg was the basis for the request for 40 years. Nevertheless, I still couldn’t believe a number should be put on it.
“I had hoped the prosecution would ask for imprisonment ‘for the rest of his living days’.
Rob says the realist in him thought a life imprisonment was not going to happen.
“The optimist in me suggested his sentence would be increased by maybe five to 10 years (from the 35 years the court handed down initially).
“I did not believe the court would decrease his sentence. To do so would have been a travesty of justice.”
Rob says the next chapter now includes his application for Civil Party status in Case 003 at the ECCC.
He’s also preparing for the nationwide theatrical release of the film Brother Number One in the second week of March.
“We hope this will prove to be an excellent educational resource for schools and the public.”
