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Allegations of Sexual
Abuse in NZ |
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One News Police have released a sketch of a
man who is alleged to have sexually attacked an English tourist in the Bay of
Islands on Wednesday evening. A 27-year-old woman told police
she was assaulted while walking near the Haruru Falls carpark. The alleged offender is in his
late 30s, with short dark brown hair. He is athletically built and was
wearing blue jeans and a navy t-shirt. He wore a large distinctive ring and
spoke with an American accent. Police are appealing to the public
for sightings of the attacker. The incident happened close to
where a honeymooning Dutch couple were viciously attacked in their campervan
nearly two years ago. The track was closed off after
severe flooding but the lone female tourist walked along it and alleges that
a man grabbed her while she was walking and seriously assaulted her. The 27-year-old woman has been
working in the Bay of Islands for the past two months, living with a local
family and they are now supporting her. She is said to be severely
traumatised. The vicious and random nature of
the crime is igniting fear in the area. Local resident Fiona MacKenzie says
she only goes to the area where the attack happened because of her horses and
given the choice she probably would not go there any more. Local tourist operators did not
want to comment to ONE News but one tourist says travellers are more cautious
when they hear about attacks such as this and the killing of a British
tourist in Taupo earlier this year. MacKenzie fears tourists may be
deterred. "It's a beautiful area...and
if things like this are going to happen, they're not going to come
back," she says. Police say they have had some
leads from the public and will be following them up. The Waitangi National Trust Estate
says visitors can be assured it is absolutely safe to visit the treaty
grounds historic precinct, where there is 24 hour security. Spokesman Michael Hooper says it
would be impossible to have security over the entire 506-hectare Waitangi
estate, much of which is native forest. Tourism New Zealand says the
country's image as a safe place to visit is under threat, partly because
tourists believe the hype and don't take enough precautions. Chief executive George Hickton
says the organisation is trying to get the message through and is warning
visitors on its website and the Lonely Planet guide that
visitors should not drop their guard while they are here. Hickton says police are also
taking the issue seriously and have an information leaflet that goes in all
rental cars with information not just about crime, but about safety in the
mountains and at sea. But Hickton says New Zealand is
not dangerous by world standards. He says international publicity about
attacks on tourists does damage our image, but thankfully it is usually short
lived. |
