KEY POINTS:
Napier police are furious they have wasted time and resources investigating three false complaints over the last 12 months.
Two were related to alleged rapes, while the third related to two separate false complaints of robbery , police told NZPA.
An 18-year-old Napier woman was charged with making a false complaint after she said she had been sexually violated in Napier last month.
A 15-year-old girl has been referred to Police Youth Aid after she falsely told police she was abducted from a Napier house in December last year and subsequently raped.
A 38-year-old Napier woman is due to appear in the Napier District Court next week on two charges of making false complaints about robberies in March last year and this month.
Detective Sergeant Sean Hansen of Napier CIB said the inquiries collectively absorbed between 150-200 hours of investigation time.
"These also came at a time when our resources were strained dealing with other serious criminal inquiries.
"It is very frustrating when we put so much time and effort into these complaints, only to find that there is no basis to them," he said.
Police were obliged to investigate all criminal complaints and false complaints were often not picked up until later in the investigation.
"This means that police spend a considerable amount of time that is basically wasted. Those resources could be better used on genuine complaints to benefit genuine victims," Mr Hansen said.
While false complaints continued to impact on police time and resources, genuine victims should not be deterred from contacting police, he said.
"This by no means implies that police will not investigate a complaint.
"Our message to the community is that genuine complainants can have no fear and their concerns will be taken seriously."
- NZPA
