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Thursday, January 7, 2010

Two American Tourists Attacked In Rotorua

4 days after the event the press eventually found out that a young American couple were attacked and robbed in Rotorua on Saturday night. The thugs responsible for the attack  - all teenagers (the youngest is 14) have appeared in court over the last two days and the tourists are now safely away from further media attention. This appeared in today's Herald and followed a story published yesterday by 3 News and Stuff
"Three teenagers have been charged with aggravated robbery after two American visitors were attacked in Rotorua. The tourists, a man and a woman in their early 20s, were set upon near Rangiuru St late on Saturday night. 

They were bruised and scratched and their belongings were stolen, police said.
An 18-year-old youth and a 14-year-old boy appeared in the Rotorua Youth Court yesterday and were remanded.A 17-year-old youth will appear in the Youth Court today."
The names, or town of origin, for the tourists have not been released.

View Larger Map, Rangiuru Street near to where the attack took place
The attack has drawn surprisingly little attention from the public, warranting but a single comment on the 3News website by "Dan"
"Shame on our youth. The recent incidents relating to tourists have started a huge decline in numbers of inbound tourists as well as tourism dollars which are crucial for our economy. Wonder what the politicians and police are going to do about this. The law needs to be amended drastically with regards to the punishment handed out if arrested."
Unfortunately incidents such as these are not isolated, nor uncommon. On November 30 a group of "international tourists" (details of their nationality were never released) were attacked and robbed whilst they bathed at Kerosene Creek, 35km south of Rotorua. see blog post Tourists robbed. 

Other tourist attacks and robberies include

Two German tourists attacked in Paihia, Northland

Two American tourists were robbed at Shipwreck Bay in Northland whilst sandboarding

Asian woman, (probably Japanese) age 22, raped in her room by 2 teenagers in a home invasion in Opotiki

Three Chinese tourists attacked and robbed at Te paki, 90 Mile Beach by two men they'd stopped to help

French tourist Anthony Cressend, beaten and robbed at campsite in Ahipara, Northland

Two Australian tourists robbed at knifepoint for their holiday money in Te Puke, SE of Tauranga.

Japanese tourist age 23 (female) kidnapped, robbed and assaulted in Rotorua by four men

French tourist (male) raped at gunpoint near Opotiki

American peace corp twins Adam and Alex Rahmlow, 21 were robbed of all their possessions by a man they tried to help in Amberley, Christchurch.

Dutch couple
raped and robbed on a campsite in Tuatapere, NW of Invercargill, whilst on their honeymoon. (Dutch govt. issued a travel warning about NZ)

Two Koreans were attacked and robbed of their possession which included a laptop computer by a man claiming to be a gang member in Blenheim.

British tourist worker sexually assaulted near Hururu Falls, Northland when she was dragged off a walking track.

Canadian tourist Jeremie Kawerninski, kidnapped, assaulted and robbed in Lower Hutt, Wellington

Dutch couple robbed and sexually attacked Haruru Falls, Northland whilst on honeymoon.

Two British women robbed and raped in their campervan at Tokomaru Bay, north of Gisborne.

Japanese tourist subjected to a prolonged and brutal sex attack in a communal area of a backpacker's hostel in Turangi, Taupo.

Scottish woman Karen Aim
brutally murdered by a youth in Taupo.

German woman
Birgit Brauer murdered near New Plymouth.

Korean man Jae Hyeon Kim
decapitated with a spade by white supremacist.

Japanese tourist robbed at gunpoint in Oamaru.

Irish cycle tourist Paul Mack bashed, robbed and urinated on throughout his NZ tour.

6 English and Danish
tourists attacked and stabbed in Cashel Mall, Christchurch for having "foreign accents."

Irish man Robby
O'Brien beaten up in Westport.

Russian couple Denis Khotchenko and Lera Nesterova beaten and robbed in Milford, Auckland

English woman knifed and sexually assaulted in a toilet block at an A1 motor camp in Kaikoura

American campers Patrick Dykstra and Kelsey McGinley
beaten and robbed at Whangarei Falls.

Australian tourist sexually assaulted on a street in broad daylight in Nelson.

Australian tourist subjected to a sex attack by Maia Crawford Rongonui whilst walking home to a backpackers in Christchurch.

Canadian
tourist left with a fractured skull outside Silver Fern backpackers in Taupo.

Dutch
tourist beaten and robbed at Lake Rotorua.

British man Paul Speakman
and his young son beaten and robbed in a campervan at Athenree Gorge, Katikati.

Chinese woman attacked for speaking Chinese on a train approaching Petone.

Scottish visitor Stuart Martin who was left in a coma and with a boot print on his face after a street bashing in Taradale, Christchurch.

Pretty shocking for a country as small as New Zealand. But these are just some of the crimes that make it as far as the news, true figures for tourist assaults and robberies either aren't gathered or they're not released. Who can tell how bad the problem is? and if a problem isn't measured how can it ever be  resolved?



Today's posts - click here

3 comments:

  1. CASH AND CRASH: British tourists have rated NZ one of the riskiest spots in the world
    for theft and car crashes.

    Marlborough Express

    By SUE ALLEN

    British tourists have rated New Zealand one of the riskiest spots in the world for
    theft and car crashes, a leading insurer says.

    New Zealand had the fourth highest number of claims for theft, after Thailand, Africa
    and the Caribbean.

    New Zealand also came fourth for road accidents, behind Thailand, South Africa and
    India.

    National tourism spokesman David Carter said New Zealand appeared to be developing a
    reputation for petty crime and dodgy roads.

    If the police showed more interest in catching criminals than issuing speeding
    tickets, tourists might be less likely to be victims of crime, he said.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3738710a34,00.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for finding this report. It looks like the insurance companies of other countries may know more about the extent of the problem than NZ does.

    The 'leading insurer' was Norwich Union, now called 'Aviva' and the report may be found on their website: http://www.aviva.co.uk/media-centre/story/2691/holiday-hazard-hotspots-uncovered/a.aviva.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  3. Footnote:
    During the year 1 April 2008 - 31 March 2009 the British consulate received requests for assistance with the loss or theft of 717 British passports, plus 76 British nationals required consular assistance. Their advice with regards to crime in NZ is:
    "Pickpocketing and other street crime occur in major urban areas. Reports of thefts from unattended vehicles, especially hire cars/camper vans in major tourist areas (e.g. the Coromandel peninsula, Rotorua and Queenstown) are on the increase. There has also been an increase in the number of thefts from hotel/motel rooms in some tourist areas.

    Do not leave possessions in unattended vehicles even if out of sight in a locked boot. Do not leave valuables in hotel/motel rooms, but use safe boxes when available. Keep passports, travellers' cheques, credit cards etc separate."

    ReplyDelete

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