Urewera: Complainants to consider compensation

A Rotorua lawyer heavily involved in the Urewera Raids case says it's now a matter of waiting to see what, if any, compensation will be offered to those "unlawfully and unreasonably" detained during the raids.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority yesterday released its report into the actions of police during the operation and found that police acted "unlawfully, unjustifiably and unreasonably" in establishing road blocks, and detaining and searching people during the Urewera raids six years ago.

IPCA chairman Sir David Carruthers said while the operation was justified, the road blocks established by police at Ruatoki and Taneatua were unlawful, unjustified and unreasonable. He said the detention of the occupants at five properties examined by the authority was unlawful and unreasonable and that personal searches conducted by police on a number of occupants were unlawful.

Rotorua lawyer Annette Sykes helped complainants and was interviewed as part of the IPCA process. She was also involved in representing some of those originally arrested but walked free.

Ms Sykes said it was now up to the complainants to read the report and consider what the next steps were in terms of compensation.

She hoped the police would be forthcoming with adequate compensation and said another step might be to take the complainants' compensation claim to the High Court - however she said legal action was likely to be a last resort.

She said the impacts the raids had on the relationship between the police and the people of Ruatoki was of "huge concern".

For some, the report came too late as she knew of at least one of those who had been unlawfully detained who had since died.

Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell from Rotorua said the report highlighted the criticisms of police which Tuhoe, the people of Ruatoki and Taneatua, the Maori Party and others had consistently raised and it was "deeply distressing" so little action had been recommended to put things right.

He said while it was positive that the report urged the police to re-engage with Tuhoe, there was still a huge void in the accountability of the police in acknowledging the extent of the harm incurred.

"We want to know what the Minister is going to do about the rampant illegal, unreasonable, unjustified and undesirable activity by the police - and we want to know when and how the police are going to apologise. After all, it costs nothing to say sorry."

The Government is taking advice on whether it needs to apologise to the Tuhoe people for the illegal police raid.