False rape claim against woman dropped

A 33-year-old Christchurch woman is considering her options after police dropped an allegation that she made a false complaint of being gang raped.

The woman was granted permanent name suppression by Christchurch District Court Judge Christopher Somerville at today's status hearing session where police prosecutor Al Manco withdrew the charge.

The woman then pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of a knife, which she had been found with at the Christchurch Central Police Station a month after allegedly being gang raped by a group of teens at Christchurch's Corsair Bay.

She said she had been carrying the knife over fears for her safety in view of the earlier incident and Judge Somerville convicted and discharged her without penalty.

Defence counsel Michael Starling said the woman still maintained that she had been gang raped and had never changed her story or withdrawn the original statement that she made to police.

She had been charged that on November 16 she made a false written statement to police that an offence of rape had been committed.

Her statement triggered a police operation that involved requests for any photographs taken by members of the public that day at Corsair Bay, a popular picnicking and swimming spot in Lyttelton Harbour.

Police were interested in identifying a group of teenagers who were near the raft moored in the bay for swimmers to use.

That investigation led to four men aged 17 and 18 being charged with stealing items from the woman's suburban Spreydon home.

The teenagers were mostly dealt with through the diversion scheme for first offenders.

The woman's name was originally suppressed as a potential victim, but then the order was continued when she was charged with making the false complaint, on the basis of reports showing her "fragile mental state".

The permanent suppression was not opposed by police.

After today's hearing Mr Starling said he had discussed the options available to the woman and she was now considering them.

She could complain to the Independent Police Complaints Authority and try to make police reopen the gang rape prosecution.

She could also try to take a private prosecution against the four youths she alleged were involved, or she could drop the matter herself, he said.

- NZPA