New Zealand MP resigns over shoplifting allegations

WELLINGTON: The first refugee to be elected to New Zealand´s parliament resigned on Tuesday over alleged shoplifting, which she said was related to personal stress and trauma.

Golriz Ghahraman, an MP for the centre-left Green Party and its justice spokesperson, is being investigated by police after three allegations of theft from boutique clothing shops.

The lawmaker, a former human rights lawyer, said her actions were “not a behaviour I can explain”.

Ghahraman conceded she had fallen short of the standards expected of politicians and needed time to address her mental health.

Work-related stress led her to “act in ways that are completely out of character. I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them”, she said in a statement.

“The mental health professional I see says my recent behaviour is consistent with recent events giving rise to extreme stress response, and relating to previously unrecognised trauma.

“I have let down a lot of people and I am very sorry. It´s not a behaviour I can explain because it´s not rational in any way, and after medical evaluation, I understand I´m not well.”

Iran-born Ghahraman, 42, moved to New Zealand as a child with her family when they were granted political asylum as refugees.

After studying law, she became a United Nations human rights lawyer, working on international criminal tribunals before entering parliament in 2017.