KEY POINTS:
The family of Auckland woman Iraena Asher, whose disappearance prompted a review of the 111 call system, feel they have become victims of the police again after their home was searched during the anti-terror raids.
Mother Betty Asher says three police searched the family's West Auckland house, even
rifling through her daughter's room, which had been kept the way she left it.
Iraena Asher's disappearance at Piha on October 10, 2004, spurred a review of the 111 call system after a taxi a police communication centre dispatcher sent to pick her up after she phoned for help went to Paihia Rd, Onehunga, rather than Piha.
Mrs Asher described the investigation into her daughter's disappearance as a "whitewash".
She said the family now felt wronged a second time after being caught up in the raids.
Sixteen people, including Tuhoe activist Tame Iti, are facing weapons-related charges arising from them.
Mrs Asher said the family's Massey home was searched on October 15. Iraena's father, Michael Asher, was home alone.
"They went through all of our daughters' personal things.
"It's very distressing to realise that people are going through any of her [Iraena's] stuff or touching any of her stuff. I mean, strangers like that in that circumstance, it's very distressing."
An 11-page search warrant contained a list of Trade Me auction website items including weapons and clothing.
At the end of the three-hour search, the police left with an old passport belonging to the Ashers' daughter Tamara, 25.
Mrs Asher said Tamara had "definitely not" been involved in any training camps and had since gone overseas. No one from the home was charged.
Mrs Asher said she, her husband, Tamara and her other daughters Angelique, 32, and Lainie, 22, were still hurting after the loss of Iraena and had been further upset by the raid.
"Nothing, of course, can hurt us as near as much as what happened in 2004 with our daughter - that's the worst-case scenario possible - but ... to add more distress to our family, especially when it's the system, police again ... it hurts."
She said Mr Asher is of Tuhoe and Tuwharetoa descent and the family had ties to the Ruatoki area, where the major raids began.
Since Iraena disappeared, the Ashers had spent time in the Urewera Ranges, a "very ancestral, very spiritual" place.
"It's a healing thing for our whanau to go there and to go up into the bush," Mrs Asher said.
The only thing the family think could have led to the raid was that Tamara had visited whanau in the Ruatoki Valley, including Iti, during winter this year.
"Obviously they [police] had been doing surveillance on Tame Iti for some time and they photographed and spied on him and all the rest of it. She had obviously been seen visiting there.
"Tame Iti has done good work in helping us heal ... He has helped our whanau since the loss of our daughter. He's a good guy. That's the other part - Middle New Zealand are quick to point and judge him and they don't even know the real guy."
Asked whether the family would take the issue up with the police, Mrs Asher said: "We've been through that whole process before. There's no point in doing any of that. We definitely don't have faith in the police."
A spokeswoman at police national headquarters would not comment on the Asher search.
News of it came yesterday as evidence relating to the raids was widely published.
The police have set out to find out how Fairfax papers got hold of the documents. TV3 was already under investigation for broadcasting brief details last week.
Last night, One News ran details from the suppressed evidence, potentially exposing the state broadcaster to the police investigation as well.