Maori Women's Refuge In Taupo Searched By Police

A search warrant under the misuse of drugs act looking for cannabis was exercised at 9am this morning on a Maori women's refuge house in Taupo.

According to initial reports to Scoop women and children were present in the premises and windows were broken.

However according to the police there was nobody present on the premises when the search began a window was broken accidentally. A glazier was immediately called to fix it.

Senior Sergeant Tony Jeurissen who was not present during the search says he understands the window was broken by a police officers body armor when they reached in to open a window.

Nothing was found in the search and nobody has been arrested.

Mr Jeurissen says he has been talking to media about the search all afternoon.

UPDATE 27/10/07: A women working at the refuge told Scoop that normally the police gave a warning before they do something like this, but this time, “we had no prior knowledge.”

She said the six police accompanied by dogs forced their way into the house smashing a window.

Normally the Maori Women's Refuge safe house was used to look after women and children that had been the victims of domestic violence.

“It was lucky there was no women and children inside at the time,” said the woman who did not want to be identified.

After the police failed to find anything inside the house they apologised, she said

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