|
|
Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
|
Waikato Times A woman who told police she was
raped in central Hamilton late last month has admitted making it up. Hamilton
teenager Caitlyn Ann Moore, 17, pleaded guilty to making a false statement
when she appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday. Moore rang police about 5.20am on
February 29, to say she had been raped earlier that morning. Police began investigating, and
cordoned off an area of London St for several hours. Moore said she had been drinking
beer, vodka and lemonade on the night she was supposedly raped, and had gone
into the city with two men. The men went into a nightclub, but
after Moore was denied entry, she decided to walk to her sister's house. Moore told police she was grabbed
from behind at the intersection of Victoria and London Sts, dragged into a
grass reserve area, thrown to the ground, and raped. The "offender"
then ran off. But when police questioned Moore
further, she said the incident was "all in her head" and admitted
that none of it happened. Moore said she got delusional sometimes,
and had become emotional for no reason on the night. Moore's lawyer Wayne Dollimore
asked for her to be discharged without conviction, emphasising her age and
lack of previous convictions. "It's still going to be a
conviction that will be with her for life," he said. Mr Dollimore said Moore had not
been able to give him an explanation for her offending, and noted that the
$1800 reparations asked for by police was a lot of money for her to pay. "It's a large amount for a
young lady." Police prosecutor Baden Hilton
said police opposed a discharge without conviction, as it was important that
Moore was held accountable for her actions, and that others were deterred
from doing anything similar. "Doing so (discharging) would
be out of all proportion to the gravity of the offence. "We need to protect those who
have genuine complaints and we also need to discourage this kind of behaviour
in the community," he said. Community Magistrate Rae Brooker
agreed with Mr Hilton, and convicted Moore, ordering her to pay $1800
reparations at no less than $20 a week. "You are old enough to know
that that behaviour was very inappropriate you used police resources that
were not required," Ms Brooker said. Moore, whose mother was in court
to support her yesterday, was receiving counselling. Earlier this month Hamilton CIB
Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Page described false rape complaints as a
huge waste of police time, which took valuable resources away from legitimate
cases. |
