A Palmerston North policeman is urging young women to "buddy up" with friends when they go out, in the wake of several sexual violation allegations.
Detective Nigel Hughes, of the CIB, made the suggestion after a series of police investigations found that many allegations of sexual violation either could not be
supported by evidence or were made because the women were uneasy about what had happened to them.
Police had begun four or five investigations over the past few weeks that did not go on simply because there was not enough evidence to support the complainants' statements, either because they were too drunk at the time and could not remember, or did remember and regretted it, Detective Hughes said yesterday.
"Young women need to take responsibility for themselves and their friends during their nights out.
"Quite often, young carloads of males always talk about having a sober driver ... This is the method that females should adopt within their group."
Detective Hughes said there were some things a buddy system could help women avoid, including the increasing practice of drink spiking.
"That's something we have no control over and nor do the victims ... but perhaps if other people are aware of this sort of thing happening ... they can get them home.
"Every so often when you get a run of [complaints] you think, 'Jeepers, if only they'd done this or done that'."
Complaints of a sexual nature took a lot of police resources to investigate, including the use of forensic specialists.
While Detective Hughes did not see a link between the increase in false allegations and the lowering of the drinking age, the age of women making the complaints, in their late teens and early 20s, was getting lower.
"When the drinking age was 20 the bars were still full. There's no difference really.
"Sex and drink are happening at a younger age, therefore they have to be aware of the other responsibilities that go with it. That goes for the guys, too, of course."
He warned men not to get involved with women who were very drunk or they could find themselves facing charges of sexual violation.
"One of the ingredients of sexual relations is the issue of consent. If there is no consent because [the woman] was too inebriated, it doesn't lessen [a man's] liability."
NZPA
