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Home / New Zealand

IPCA report: Woman seriously injured after Gisborne police made multiple mistakes investigating family harm

Leighton Keith
By Leighton Keith
Open Justice multimedia journalist, Whanganui·NZ Herald·
7 Apr, 2022 03:32 AM5 mins to read

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A woman suffered serious injuries after a series of failings by Gisborne police investigating a number of family harm events, the IPCA has found. Photo / Andrew Warner

A woman suffered serious injuries after a series of failings by Gisborne police investigating a number of family harm events, the IPCA has found. Photo / Andrew Warner

A Gisborne woman suffered serious injuries as a result of police making multiple mistakes while investigating a series of family harm incidents, the organisation's watchdog has found.

Between January 1 and 5, 2020, police received three reports of family harm incidents, which happened at the victim's home in Gisborne she shared with her long-term de facto partner.

The final of the three incidents, which were all attended by the same group of uniformed officers, resulted in the victim and her friend, who was staying with her, receiving serious injuries inflicted by the offender.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority examined whether the police response to the victim's reports of domestic violence were reasonable and found errors were made by call-takers and investigating officers.

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Tairawhiti area commander Inspector Sam Aberahama accepted the police response was inadequate and acknowledged officers didn't always get it right.

"The staff that were involved have been debriefed and received coaching in regard to family harm policy and coding," Aberahama said.

The victim first called 111 at 4.25pm on January 1, claiming the offender had weapons, was acting psychotic and needed to be removed. She did not say the offender was a family member and refused to give further details but repeatedly asked police attend, before ending the call.

The information was passed on to an acting sergaent who was going to do a welfare check with a dog handler but they were diverted.

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A second 111 call was made at 4.54pm when the victim provided her name and said the offender was outside with a pickaxe and was trying to kick in doors.

The details were not recorded in the event chronology or passed on to frontline staff.

A third 111 call was made at 5.11pm and officers finally arrived at 5.17pm, 52 minutes after the first call.

The offender was compliant and agreed to be taken to another address but the victim refused to speak with police.

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The event was deemed to be high risk and police had moderate concerns for the victim's safety but noted at the bottom of the report no further action was required.

The IPCA found it was reasonable for the victim to be upset by the delay in police responding and uncooperative with officers.

On January 5, at 12.29am the victim again called 111 crying and afraid saying the offender was inside her house because she could hear him ranting and raving.

Police were on the scene in nine minutes and due to the offender's abusive attitude took him into custody but postponed talking with the victim.

An hour later officers returned to take a family harm report in which the victim described her partner as controlling and abusive and wanted him and his belongings gone.

She arranged for a friend to stay and was advised to call 111 immediately if police were required.

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The offender was released from custody at 2.21am and refused a ride from offucers.

About an hour later the victim again called 111 for help believing the offender was going to kill her.

While on the call the offender broke into the house brandishing a wool-handling bale hook and attacked both women with it.

He was tasered and arrested when police arrived.

Officers feared the victim's friend was dead due to her injuries. She survived but is unable to work, has difficulities with her memory and has lost her sense of taste and smell.

The IPCA found a call-taker at the police communications centre incorrectly coded and incorrectly prioritised the event on January 1, while a second call-taker failed to record critical information in the event chronology and pass it on to frontline staff.

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Once in receipt of the information, she also failed to change the code and the priority for the event.

A frontline officer failed to understand the significance of what the victim was disclosing to him regarding the dynamic of family harm and level of risk she was subject to when investigating events on January 5.

He should have interviewed the victim regarding the abuse she initially alluded to and had he done so it would likely to have led to the disclosure of an offence or offences committed which would have allowed police to charge the offender and hold him in custody, the IPCA found.

Police should have taken steps to ensure the victim's safety after the offender threatened her following his release from custody and failing to do so led to her and her friend suffering serious injuries.

Aberahama said there were always lessons to be learned and police were constantly looking to improve so officers could provide the best service possible.

"Everyone deserves to be and feel safe free from violence, and police work extremely hard alongside our partner agencies to help reduce the impacts of violence in our communities."

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