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The Herald
October 25, 2003
False rape claims worry police
NZPA
Seven false rape complaints have cost Dunedin police hundreds of hours and
thousands of dollars this year, leaving fears victims may hesitate to report
a crime.
The complaints tied up valuable police resources, often to the detriment of
other cases, and risked sending the wrong message to genuine victims, police
said.
"A real concern we have is that people who really have been the victim
of rape or a sexual assault will hesitate to come to us because of a
perception they won't be believed," Detective Sergeant Steve McGregor
said.
Of the seven false complaints received so far this year, two occurred within
the past two weeks.
Last Friday, a United
States tourist, 32, told police she was
abducted from the city and raped. She admitted on Wednesday that her
complaint was untrue.
By then, police had spent more than 100 hours on the case, costing about
$7000.
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