ROTORUA - Police say they are powerless to stop a 16-year-old girl stripping in front of an audience at a Rotorua massage and strip club.
The club, which is running a stripping competition, is unhappy about it, but the girl has her parents' consent.
After refusing to let the girl enter thecompetition, Alexandra's Massage Sauna and Strip Club said it yielded when contacted by a lawyer consulted by the girl's mother.
Police are also powerless said Senior Sergeant Mike Dingwall, as long as she did not drink liquor at the club, and was not paid for dancing.
She could continue to strip with her parents' consent because legally she was still under their care.
The manager of the club, Alex, said the 16-year-old was not employed at the establishment and was only dancing in the competition.
She said she allowed the 16-year-old to strip in the competition because the girl and her mother had been intent on her entering.
"I rang the liquor licensing people and they said she was allowed to do it. I thought because it was a one-off competition that I would let her enter."
She maintained that the girl was mature and could cope, in spite of having only just left high school.
Sergeant Jim Harvey, of Rotorua police's youth aid, said all the police could do was refer the case to Child, Youth and Family Services, which would not comment on the matter yesterday.
