'Rape' file lost for eight years

Eight years ago Police lost a file containing a complaint about a woman's brother raping her.

Police did not act on a complaint of rape by a woman against her brother for about eight years because the original file was either lost or misplaced.

The revelation was made in Whangarei District Court this week by Detective Sergeant Jonathan Tier giving evidence during the trial of the woman's 64-year-old brother who was facing one charge of rape. The woman claimed she was raped in their family home in Northland 49 years ago when she was 13 and her brother 15.

Her brother was found not guilty by a jury after a two-hour deliberation.

Mr Tier, who's now based at Dargaville, said the file was created at Christchurch in 2002 but it was eight years before any action was taken.