People dish out brutal online justice

Threats have allegedly been fired at a woman who offered to collect donations for a neighbouring family who were the victims of a Morrinsville house fire.

The McRae family were left with nothing after a blaze ripped through their Lorne St home on December 27 last year.

Police are investigating whether a woman who collected items for the McRae family failed to deliver them.

Matamata-Piako district councillor, Paul Cronin, said following news of the investigation, people headed online to administer their own style of justice.

Some had named the woman who had offered to collect and the criticism had been brutal.

Cronin, one of the four Morrinsville ward councillors, stepped in to help co-ordinate donations and help the McRae family find a new home.

He had noticed a ‘‘storm brewing’’ online.

‘‘I thought I could step in, mediate and get resolution because it was turning pretty nasty, there were threats being made.’’

He said the woman now under investigation was reluctant to speak publicly, fearing further criticism.

Cronin said the woman lived in the same neighbourhood as the McRae family. After the fire, an appeal went out and the woman offered to help.

‘‘Allegations that she hid donations were not true. I organised for the donations to be collected from her house and at some stage there was a formal complaint made that she was holding stuff or collecting without authorisation.

‘‘However we took away two car loads and a ute, trailer fill of donations. One of the issues has been the number of people collecting, there are two or three and no co-ordination of it all.’’

Cronin said other people had come around to collect donations for the McRae family which were not accounted for. He agreed the situation had become complicated. Some donations were not usable and storing the items had proved challenging as well.

‘‘So this is now in the hands of the police. I understand they have been speaking to people and taking down statements.’’

Cronin said he had been busy trying to find the McRae family a new home but so far it had been a struggle.

‘‘I think this just goes to show how hard it is to find a rental property in Morrinsville.’’