Police response to threats ‘inadequate’
Police failed to adequately respond when a 21-year-old West Auckland law student reported that she had been threatened, stalked and harassed by a man who went on to murder her just eight weeks later, the police watchdog has found.
On October 25, 2022, Farzana Yaqubi made a 105 online report that 32-year-old Kanwarpal Singh was threatening, stalking and harassing her.
Less than eight weeks later, on December 19, Singh murdered Yaqubi in Massey, Auckland. Her complaint was still awaiting further investigation.
Now, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that police’s response to Yaqubi’s complaint was “inadequate”.
During their investigation, the IPCA reviewed the processes followed by police and analysed the decision-making and actions of police who dealt with Yaqubi’s file. Crucially, the IPCA has dubbed the assessment matrix police used to assess allegations of stalking as “not fit-for purpose”.
Yaqubi provided police with screenshots of messages Singh was sending her, including one where he threatened to throw acid on her face.
She also provided police with other information that would have been sufficient for police to be able to identify the man, the IPCA said.
But, Yaqubi’s file sat inactive for six weeks while police waited for her to come to the police station and provide a formal statement.
On December 3, Yaqubi updated her online report, telling police that the situation had escalated and that she was extremely fearful the man may pose a threat to her life.
Three days later, she went to Henderson Police Station and gave a formal statement to police and was told the file would be forwarded to another station near to where she had told police the man may be living.
On December 19, Singh repeatedly stabbed Yaqubi to death, just metres from her home. At the time of her death, her police complaint hadn’t been progressed any further.
The IPCA added that police didn’t adequately take into account the cultural and religious factors that may have influenced how Yaqubi engaged with police, nor did they provide her with the appropriate support.
Officers also failed to ensure “significant matters” raised in Yaqubi’s formal statement were addressed immediately and failed to link her file to that of another young girl who was being threatened by Singh.
They “thereby missed an opportunity to gain a fuller picture of the extent of his actions”, the IPCA said.
Singh is currently serving a sentence of life in prison with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years. He had earlier pleaded guilty to murdering Yaqubi.
Singh is currently appealing the murder charge.
According to Waitematā District Commander
Superintendent Naila Hassan, police accepted that they missed “several opportunities for earlier intervention.
“Given the concerning matters Ms Yaqubi had raised in her statement, police should have acted sooner and provided better support given the effects of the frightening behaviour she was experiencing at the time. For this we apologise. We have also met with Ms Yaqubi’s family to apologise face-to-face,” Hassan said.
Police are reviewing their initial assessment matrix, and are working to improve training and resources to ensure all staff dealing with files clearly understand what may constitute a hate crime.