KEY POINTS:
Police are warning people to ask police officers to produce official identification before allowing them into their homes, after the vicious rape of a South Auckland woman in her home on Thursday.
The man claimed he was a police officer and convinced the 41-year-old woman to let him into her home about midday on Thursday, in a Papakura street, where he stripped her and repeatedly sexually violated her.
Officer in charge of the investigation Detective Senior Sergeant Neil Grimstone today revealed the man, dressed in a suit, posed as a police officer telling the woman he was there "conducting routine enquiries".
He asked the woman to open the door and once inside he produced a "dark handgun" and threatened the woman with it, he said.
Mr Grimstone said the man used the handgun to continuously threaten her throughout the 2-1/2 hour sexual attack.
"Clearly this is an extremely sinister twist in this enquiry."
The man did not show the woman any identification, he said.
Mr Grimstone said the obvious warning to the public was that all police officers, when going door-to-door, carried official identification.
"They are practised at showing that identification at all times."
Mr Grimstone said people should ask for that identification prior to opening the door and to be sure they were happy with the police officer's credentials.
A helpline number which had been set-up had taken many calls, he said, and was being manned around the clock.
While considerable information had been received police were evaluating it, which took time, he said.
Mr Grimstone said he had never heard of a similar crime and said it was a "substantial mystery".
Mr Grimstone said all police had official identification and detectives often had a gold badge as well.
People who were not comfortable with either the person or identification shown, should not open the door, he said.
"You can ring the communications centre and they will have a log of that police officer going about those particular enquiries and they should be able to confirm whether that police officer was legitimate or not."
Mr Grimstone said he would not speculate whether the man may have a connection to the police or whether he had been watching the house.
The woman was interviewed by the police again today and was continuing to help police, he said.
The offender was described as being dressed in business clothes -- a dark suit, white collared shirt, a grey or blue tie and black dress shoes.
He was described as a male Maori or Polynesian in his early to mid 30s, about 185cm tall, clean shaven with short dark hair and of a strong, athletic build.
Uniformed officers were today going door-to-door in a bid to gain more information about the offender.
People with any information can call 0800 385 378.
- NZPA
