Parents slam rape inquiry
The parents of a Nelson schoolgirl who was allegedly raped in a public park are upset that police didn’t warn the public or appeal for information to help identify the offender.
The girl’s parents said the 16-year-old was choked, knocked unconscious and raped near a walkway at Saxton Field, Stoke, as she walked home from work about 9pm on Saturday, June 18.
Police this week confirmed a detective has been investigating since June 20, but had no answers for why the public wasn’t told about the reported crime at the time.
‘‘There should have been a media release done at some stage,’’ Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy said. ‘‘I’m surprised no one mentioned it.’’
The girl’s parents were angry that police never warned the public of the violent crime in a public park and that a sexual predator was at large.
They said police had failed to seek information from possible witnesses that might have helped the investigation and feared the offender could strike again.
‘‘That could have helped when it was fresh in people’s minds back then,’’ the father said.
‘‘That could have helped identify the guy – a bit of justice.
‘‘I just wish they had done their job. I wish they had made the public aware so they could have been on the lookout for some creep.’’
The girl walked past a man, believed to be wearing a dark hoodie and three-quarter pants, on a pathway through Saxton Field, across the road from Bunnings Warehouse, her parents said.
She was listening to music on earphones when she was grabbed in a ‘‘choker hold’’ from behind and knocked unconscious.
Her parents said the attacker then dragged her behind a nearby bank and raped her.
She didn’t tell anyone about the incident until Monday, June 20, when she called phone counselling service Lifeline at 7.30am, police said.
The parents were also concerned that police didn’t visit the scene until the Wednesday, two days after they started investigating, and their daughter didn’t have a medical examination until that evening, four days after she was attacked.
‘‘Time is of the essence when it comes to something like this,’’ the father said.
McCoy said police were not taken to the scene until the Wednesday and the medical examination was done within the standard timeframe.
The girl’s clothing and other items have been sent for forensic testing. Results can take up to 10 weeks.
Staff at Saxton Lodge, directly across the road from Saxton Field, said they were surprised police hadn’t spoken to them about the reported incident.
The lodge would have been open at 9pm on June 18, a staff member said, and guests may have seen or heard something.
In an emailed statement, sent through police’s national media team, Tasman District crime manager Detective Inspector Paul Borrell said every investigation ‘‘may require a slightly different approach’’.
‘‘As this case centres around a young and vulnerable person, police have taken every step to ensure she is protected as our enquiries continue.’’
He was unable to comment further.
The detective assigned to the case went on leave in the early stages of the investigation and was due back at work next week.
The father said he was an inactive gang member and had a history of clashing with police, but that should have no bearing on how police handled his daughter’s complaint. ‘‘ We feel a certain prejudice towards our family.’’
He said his daughter has been withdrawn since the incident and had lost trust in men and police.
‘‘I’m her father and it’s hard to get a hug out of her,’’ he said.
‘‘These things are life changing. It stays with the person forever.’’