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New Zealand MP Golriz Ghahraman resigns after being accused of shoplifting at clothing stores
- The Green Party lawmaker is being investigated by police after three allegations of retail theft that she blamed on personal stress and trauma
- ‘I have let down a lot of people and I am very sorry,’ Ghahraman, the first refugee to be elected to New Zealand’s parliament, said
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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.
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Golriz Ghahraman, an MP for the centre-left Green Party and its justice spokesperson, is being investigated by police after three allegations of retail theft.
The lawmaker, a former human rights lawyer, said her actions were “not a behaviour I can explain”.
But 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.
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“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.
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