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Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
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False complaints of rape waste
huge amounts of police time and take valuable resources away from legitimate
cases, says Hamilton CIB head Detective senior sergeant Chris Page. A 17-year-old woman was charged
with making a false complaint last week after claiming she had been attacked
outside toilets on London St and dragged down steps to the Kirikiriroa Reserve
by the Waikato River. After being interviewed by police, the woman admitted
the attack didn't happen. Mr Page says police are
increasingly frustrated by false complaints. "We don't have a bottomless
pit of staff. While we are dealing with a false complaint we can't deal with
the genuine complaint. We have to prioritise our work around the other serious
and violent crime we deal with." The London St false complaint took
police staff resources away from investigating a sexual attack on
Claudeland's Bridge on Monday. Known suspect, Hira Tahitahi, is now being
sought in Northland. "The Friday complaint meant
we had to call staff off aspects of the Claudeland's inquiry initially to
assist. However, once it became clear it was a false complaint the staff were
returned." Hamilton detectives are still
wading their way through a list of 2300 people put forward as suspects in
Operation Phil - a series of three rapes reported mid-way through last year. So far 800 suspects have been
investigated. "We have to track down every
one. It is hugely labour and resource intensive." In January, Zoe Joy Maxine Arama,
18, was charged with making a false complaint of rape as retribution against
a man she alleged had stolen a $50 Warehouse voucher. Arama appeared before community
magistrate Pat Oettli and was ordered to pay $375 reparation. The claim of pack-rape by a
Japanese woman, Chie Ikee, in central Hamilton in November was found to be
false and an attempt to get attention from her ex-partner. Police spent more than 90 hours
investigating Ikee's claim and sought $12,378 in reparation. Hamilton
District Court judge Barry Morris convicted her and imposed a one-year
suspended sentence. Police also spent more than 60
hours investigating a rape complaint by a 16-year-old Morrinsville teenager
which turned out to be false. The youth was referred to the police Youth Aid
Section. Detective Senior Sergeant Page
says every rape complaint was taken as genuine at the outset. "It's not until we begin
other inquiries and set about identifying the offender that we may be alerted
to the fact that the complaint may not be genuine - often when key facts
given by the complainant in the recollection of the event are not supported
by the evidence." |
