Chester Borrows MP
National Party Police Spokesman

8 December 2006

Drug rape survivors encouraged to come forward

Former Taranaki Detective and National Party Police spokesman Chester Borrows is urging Taranaki drug rape survivors to authorise the release of private information to police tracking those behind recent sex attacks.

"As the Member of Parliament for South Taranaki, and having investigated many, many sexual assaults in the past, I want to see these rapists out of circulation. People have the right to enjoy the social company of others without the fear of being violated.

"I strongly support Rape Crisis and know that they have confidential records going back years. In some cases serial sexual predators are allegedly identified.

"But, Rape Crisis is unable to pass this information on to the Police because of the confidential and private nature of the information these rape victims have given to the support agency.

"Those of us who have never been raped can't possibly understand the vulnerability and sensitivity of the victims of sex crimes. I fully support their rights and the reasons why this information is kept confidential.

"But I believe that drug rape survivors may hold a key to these types of offences, in that once they feel safe and supported, they could instruct Rape Crisis and sexual abuse counsellors to release any information in their individual cases that may assist the investigation in Taranaki.

"The nature of sexual assaults is that the preparation usually takes place in public and the actual assault in private, so there is also every chance that some suspicious behaviour will have been witnessed, but may not have been recognised as such.

"I join with the police and urge anyone with any information about these crimes to come forward," says Mr Borrows.

ENDS

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