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Allegations of Sexual
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An Auckland woman who called 111
saying she had been slashed with a sword was found lying in bed unharmed more
than three hours after she caused a police hunt. The woman spoke to police on her
cellphone several times while they searched for her, delaying responses to
genuine 111 emergency calls. All eight sworn staff on duty in
the Waitakere area -- as well as specialist search-and-rescue teams and a
tracker dog -- were sent to look for her. The search began about 11.30pm on
Sunday when the woman called 111 from her cellphone. She told police a man
had slashed her with a sword and left her bleeding in a car park in New Lynn,
West Auckland, but she claimed not to know where she was. Her cellphone cut out and police
called her back. She told them she was no longer able to stand and was
bleeding badly, Inspector Andrew Brill said. "Phone contact was lost and
regained several times. Each time, the woman indicated her condition was
deteriorating. Finally, contact was lost and could not be
re-established." A cellphone company confirmed her
phone was transmitting from the New Lynn area. After establishing her
identity, police found her at home in bed about 3am. She was unharmed. A woman, 26, appeared in Waitakere
District Court yesterday and was remanded on bail. She is due in court again
tomorrow, when she will face 25 charges, including two laid yesterday -- of
wasting police time and assaulting a policewoman. The other charges related
to a variety of offences. Police Association president Greg
O'Connor said the incident demonstrated the need for more frontline police
staff to respond to genuine emergencies and hoaxes. "That's not what is
happening currently." The "heavy scrutiny"
police had come under for their handling of 111 calls meant there was a
greater reluctance to dismiss something as a hoax. "There's a very, very strong
awareness of following through every job to the nth degree ... "Make a wrong call about
whether it's a hoax or not and the consequences are great, not only for
potential victims but also for the political battering police get." Association vice-president Richard
Middleton said such false calls were frustrating for police, who were under
extreme pressure to respond to emergencies. The police national communications
centres manager, Superintendent Steve Fitzgerald, said it was rare for people
to make up stories. "It's not often we actually get a wild goose chase
like this." The incident demonstrated how
difficult it was for police to trace cellphone calls. "If you are on a
cellphone, people must be aware that we don't know where you are." The maximum penalty for wasting
police time is three months' jail or a $2000 fine. |
