The Susan Couch Trust
THE sole survivor of the RSA massacre has been dealt a killer blow.
Susan Couch, beaten nearly to death by triple-murderer William Bell, faces being left homeless with her young son.
On an invalids benefit after suffering brain damage and paralysis in the attack, Couch has only been able to afford a decent house for her and 11-year-old Jackson to live in for the past five years because the samaritan landlady reduced her rent.
But the house is being sold in three weeks.
Couch, 45 – who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder – is also unwilling to accept an alternative of a Housing New Zealand [HNZ] property, because of the environment she may find herself in and a lack of facilities she requires because of her disabilities.
Hopefully a suitable Housing NZ property can be found.
Two other men have kept her going – her lawyer Brian Henry and Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Garth McVicar.
Henry is acting on Couch’s behalf for no cost. His PA is also actively involved in the search for a new house for her.
McVicar has also been a staunch and long-time advocate for her.
“If it wasn’t for Brian Henry and Garth McVicar I would be rotting on a benefit somewhere. No one would care about my case as no one would know,” Couch said.
Well done to both Mr Henry and Mr McVicar. It is good to see them supporting Susan Couch.
But it brings me back memories of the Susan Couch Trust:
New Zealand First made a donation of $78,000 this year to the Susan Couch and Crime Victims Charitable Trust, Rt Hon Winston Peters announced this evening. …
“We were pleased to donate the money to a trust that could assist her and we deeply regret that we have been forced to reveal this publicly but our hands have been forced by harassment by the Dominion Post newspaper.
I think it is a legitimate question for media to ask – has the Susan Couch Trust used the $78,000 to help Susan Couch with her accommodation costs?