The brother of a man who was killed in the Loafers Lodge fire is warning more people will die unless changes are fast-tracked to allow dangerous people with ongoing mental health problems to be detained without consent.
Esarona Lologa has schizophrenia, and was sentenced on Friday to 22 years in prison, for the murder of five people and arson.
He had multiple prior convictions and was admitted to hospital eight times before he escaped from a facility just weeks before he lit the fatal blaze in Wellington in May 2023.
Melvin Parun was one of the men who died and his brother, Lou, told 1News it was the law that let it happen.
"I don't believe that when you're in that position that you've got any rights," he said.
"You've had 50 convictions in this particular case, serious convictions, and people are still letting him get away."
Health New Zealand has previously said all the right processes were followed at the time, but the Government is now part-way through changing the law.
Esarona David Lologa was found guilty in September of lighting a fire which killed five in May 2023. (Source: 1News)
"The repeal and replacement of the Mental Health Act puts people at the centre of care but acknowledges that sometimes compulsory treatment needs to be an option for the safety of individuals and the community," said Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey.
He added the Mental Health Bill had been reported back from select committee and was awaiting second reading.
But Lou Parun fears the changes are coming too slow, and risks someone else getting killed in the meantime.
"Well, I think it's going to happen again if they don't change it," he said.
"Make sure that somebody is not wandering around the city or wandering around the country, capable of doing very bad things to people," he pleaded.
Five people were killed after two fires were lit at Loafers Lodge on May 16, 2023. (Source: 1News)
Lou remembers his brother Melvin as a fun, thoughtful guy and brilliant painter, and he doesn't want his death to be in vain.
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