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The Nelson Mail
May 21, 2003
Police seek $3000 over teen's false rape claim
Nelson police are seeking more than $3000 in costs from the family of a
16-year-old girl who made a false rape complaint .
Detective Craig Johnston said the Motueka teenager told officers that at
about 4.30pm on Saturday
she had been dragged into bushes by two men near the Tahunanui roller skating
rink.
She told police one of the men had stripped her naked and held her down while
the other man raped her.
The teenager made a statement to the police about 6pm and described her two alleged attackers in
detail. She was then taken to Nelson
Hospital to be
medically examined.
Mr Johnston said two detectives were immediately put on the case and
inquiries led them to a 21-year-old man who told police he had been with the
teenager that afternoon and they had been involved in a consensual sexual
relationship.
Mr Johnston reinterviewed the teenager yesterday and she admitted making a
false complaint. She has been referred to Youth Aid.
He said the costs police were seeking to recover included police time - an
officer costs $76 an hour on duty - and the medical examination.
Nelson Rape Crisis coordinator Madeleine Pryce said the group was receiving
an increasing number of complaints from young girls who had been raped - some
as young as 13.
”I can understand why the police would be very cross with having their time
wasted,'' she said.
Ms Pryce said Rape Crisis was now seeing up to 50 victims of rape for counselling
and support work.
Mr Johnston said police took all complaints seriously and the teenager's
actions could have had serious consequences for the falsely accused man.
The false complaint follows an intensive inquiry in January this year after a
16-year-old Marlborough girl alleged she had
been raped at the Tahuna
Beach Holiday
Park on New Year's Eve.
Police spent several days interviewing people, placing pamphlets around the
area and carrying out their investigation.
It was later found that the girl had made a false complaint following
problems at home.
Mr Johnston said police would charge people with making a false complaint and
seek reimbursement for the costs of any investigation.
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