Police criticised for initially resisting criminal investigation into the case
A New Zealand Police recruit has resigned following allegations of sexual harassment against a fellow trainee, with the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) criticising the force's initial reluctance to pursue a criminal investigation.
The incident, which occurred late at night in a parked vehicle on a public road in the greater Wellington area, involved allegations that the recruit asked another recruit unsolicited sexual questions before exposing himself and showing pornographic material on his phone.
The IPCA, which oversees complaints against New Zealand Police, published a summary of its oversight of the case on 7 May.
The New Zealand Police initially handled the matter as an employment issue rather than launching a criminal investigation, which the IPCA said it resisted.
The authority formally asked Police to reconsider, arguing the alleged conduct pointed to a possible criminal offence.
But Police did not act on the IPCA's request initially and proceeded with an employment process that found the recruit guilty of serious misconduct.
"The Authority wrote to Police stating that while we agreed with their finding and outcome for the employment process, we did not agree with the decision not to undertake a criminal investigation," the IPCA said in its published summary of the case.
Police eventually self-initiated a criminal investigation. That inquiry,...
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