Woman lied about abduction say police

A 37-year-old woman who claimed to have been grabbed along Te Ngae Rd, dragged into the back of a car and abducted, has been charged with making a false complaint.
The woman had told police she had been walking along the footpath by Puketawhero Park on Te Ngae Rd, in the direction of Rotorua Airport about 8am Friday when a car stopped alongside her. She said a man from the car dragged her into the back of the vehicle which drove off up Te Ngae Rd and into Wharenui Rd.
The woman said she had managed to escape her abductors and a passing van driver had picked her up and taken her to the police station.
Rotorua police Detective Sergeant Garry Hawkins said yesterday that after numerous inquiries police had confirmed the woman's story was false.
"As a result, the 37-year-old woman at the centre of the inquiry has been arrested and charged with making a false complaint to police that an offence was committed," Mr Hawkins said.
"Whenever an allegation like this is made, police will always take it seriously, as we did in this case.
"An alleged incident of this kind is distressing for everyone involved - including the wider community. As a result, we had an extensive team working on the inquiry.
"From a police point of view it is obviously disappointing whenever a false complaint is made, as each one takes a significant amount of time and takes police away from other investigations.
Mr Hawkins said the woman's false claims of her abduction had prompted concerns in the local community and he hoped residents would now feel reassured.
The woman will appear in the Rotorua District Court this week.
Police had had a busy 24 hours at the time the woman made her false claim - police officers were investigating an aggravated robbery which had taken place just two hours earlier in Murupara and were searching for 20-year-old Daniel McMeeking who escaped from a Rotorua prison van the previous afternoon.
Police are still looking for McMeeking and anyone who knows where he is should contact police on (07) 348 0099 or 0800 555 111.