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Home / New Zealand

She complained to authorities she felt unsafe in her own home. Then, she says, she was raped

Amelia Wade
By Amelia Wade
Political reporter·NZ Herald·
21 Dec, 2019 04:00 PM5 mins to read

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A woman told her state landlords she felt unsafe in her house, then she was raped in her own bed.

A woman told her state landlords she felt unsafe in her house, then she was raped in her own bed.

The woman told her government landlords she felt unsafe in her home but says it wasn't until she was raped in her own bed that she was moved.

Over the course of four years, the 22-year-old had two cars stolen and written off, her home broken into and was attacked on the street not far from her Upper Hutt house.

But with more than 400 families on the transfer list, authorities said despite her numerous complaints to both housing agencies and the police, the mother of two didn't meet the conditions to move.

"Even after all the calls, the evidence, fear for me and my children's safety, it took rape. As thankful as we are to have a home ... " the woman said.

Kainga Ora, formerly Housing NZ, said it had worked with her as best it could with the "verified information available" but said it had "also found her accounts of events to be inconsistent on occasions".

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The woman told the Herald on Sunday she moved into a state house four years ago but felt increasingly unsafe as her house was burgled three times, her car was stolen twice - one was set on fire and the other was driven into a river - and she was accosted on the street not far from her home.

"Our whole family was so scared for so many months."

READ MORE:
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• Premium - 'We're all human' - South Auckland residents frantically sell properties in Flat Bush after Housing NZ tenants move in next door
• Premium - National blames 'state house for life' policy for growing waiting list. Officials say it's not that simple
• Premium - 'We are in deep trouble': Dire lack of state housing creates a new homeless

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And then, in March, she says, she was raped by the 14-year-old boy next door.

She always thought he was "a good boy" - he sometimes came round to her house to watch television with her son.

One evening she'd had some drinks with her mother and the boy was there watching movies. It was the first time he'd been there.

About 1am, the boy said he was scared about how his dad would react to him being out so late. She let him stay the night in the La-Z-Boy in her bedroom.

"I woke up to him inside me and I was too scared to react. I didn't know what would happen to me if I did and my kid was in my room and I didn't want to scare them.

"Afterwards I told him to get the hell out of my house and rang the police."

Police investigated the incident but the boy laid counter-charges of indecent assault and said it was statutory rape as he was underage.

Ultimately, the investigation was dropped.

A police spokesperson said the woman's complaint didn't meet the Solicitor-General's Guidelines evidential test to prosecute the case.

Ministry of Justice data shows only 31 per cent of sexual violence incidents reported to police make it to court, 11 per cent result in a conviction and 6 per cent in imprisonment.

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But it was only after she told Kainga Ora she was raped that the woman and her family were moved.

The woman spent 12 weeks in emergency housing before being found a new home in Lower Hutt.

At first she was offered emergency housing walking distance to where the 14-year-old lived.

It was only when an advocate got involved that she was put in a house where she felt safe.

The woman is now happy and safe in a new home but she's angry about what had to happen in order for her to be moved.

"It literally is 'be in a life or death situation' for them to transfer you. It needs to change."

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The woman is also frustrated that comparatively nothing happened to her alleged rapist.

"That angers me, that I was the victim and I lost everything. My kids and I lost my home, my kids lost everything, but he could stay. He was fine."

The woman's case comes amid the state housing crisis with a record 14,000 people on the waiting list in September and more than 3300 motel stays granted around the country.

In Wellington, 435 households are waiting to be moved to a more appropriate property and the median time is 118 days.

Nationwide, the number of households requesting to change their housing situation increased by 40 per cent over the past year.

The Kāinga Ora spokesman said about the woman's case that normally emergency housing decisions were made by the Ministry of Social Development. But "upon hearing about the alleged incident [we] immediately moved our tenant".

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"She is still our tenant and we will continue to look after her and family. She has a new home with us."

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