A victim of domestic violence has launched a formal complaint against a Northland detective for allegedly molesting her after he arrested her abusive partner.
The woman filed a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA), claiming the detective sexually harassed her while she was in a vulnerable state, according to a public police watchdog group.
In the complaint the woman claimed the detective started calling her and became hostile when she wouldn't answer his calls.
He then began visiting her house, touching her and "rubbing himself on her", according to a summary of the complaint published by the New Zealand Police Conduct Association.
NZPCA said it was a "historic" incident as the woman had always been too scared to speak out until now.