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The Daily News
October 13, 2003
Rise in false rape complaints
by Kim Batchelor
A rash of false rape and sexual abuse accusations by young teenage girls is
jeopardising genuine complaints, say New Plymouth police.
"We are getting young teenagers coming to us blatantly saying they have
been raped. Then our investigations prove they are false and they then admit
they made the whole thing up," acting officer in charge of the police's
sexual abuse team Detective Maggie Windle said.
Police had been able to verify that up to a dozen complaints made this year
had been false, she said.
"It's a worrying trend. The genuine complaints are being compromised by
the people willingly making false complaints."
Ms Windle said false complaints were a waste of police time and resources,
citing a recent case where seven or eight officers spent three hours one
night investigating a complaint which the following day was proved to be
false.
"The man-hours involved are significant."
Rape, which carried a maximum of 20 years' prison for those convicted, was a
serious offence. Police tried to deal with such complaints immediately and
gave them precedence over other matters, she said.
New Plymouth CIB officer in charge Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward
said recently a 12-year-old girl admitted making a false rape complaint only
after two police officers had spent a week investigating the allegation.
"Some of them can take a week before they will come out and say it is
false; some won't even say that at all, but from our investigations we
know."
Mr Coward said there would hardly be a weekend go by without a suspect rape
allegation -- many of them stemming from situations involving alcohol --
being made to police.
A fortnight ago five rapes were reported over one weekend but not one
"came to fruition", he said.
Police would take action against anyone who they could prove had made a false
complaint -- 14-to-16-year-olds would be referred to Youth Aid and those 17
and older would go to court.
The offence of making a false complaint carried a maximum of three months' in
jail and a $1000 fine, he said.
Police had already referred two or three girls to Youth Aid.
Ms Windle said in some of the incidents, girls were making false complaints
to get out of a sticky situation.
"Often they have slept with someone else other than their boyfriend --
`how are we going to get out of this?' Some of them will be wanting
attention."
She stressed that police did not want people to stop people reporting sexual
assaults and all complaints were treated as genuine.
Rape Crisis and Safer Centre (Sexual Abuse & Family Education &
Rehabilitation Centre) co-ordinator Lorraine
Jans backed up the police's comments.
"We are concerned about it as well. We get called out to these and it's
all done on a voluntary basis, and it makes you feel like the next time you
get called out `OK, is this a real one? I'm giving up my time here'."
False complaints wasted resources, time and cast doubt on genuine complaints,
she said.
Ms Jans was not sure why there had been an increase in false complaints
recently.
"I have a feeling it might be because some of the kids are getting
themselves in situations they have got no control over.
"And then although the relationship might have been consensual it's
easier to say it wasn't, that way they can save face with parents and people
around them. I think it's also got something to do with the amount of
alcohol," she said.
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