Were you in New Zealand during the 2011 rugby world cup and were you a victim of crime? We’d like to hear your story, please leave a comment below.
Despite warnings to visitors the rugby world cup has provided rich pickings for New Zealand’s criminal element.
We’re saddened to hear a number players and journalists have become victims of crime. They are among hundreds of tourists and visitors who are victims of opportunistic crime every year in New Zealand (for more about this read our many posts tagged tourist attacks or click on the links at the end)
Stuff reports that photographers Barry Aldworth and Christiaan Kotze had almost $10,000 worth of property stolen when their car was broken into at a media shuttle drop off point. They lost “two computers, bags, peripheral photographic equipment, money, clothes, sunglasses and the tent they had been using for accommodation during their stay… unique Castle Tri-Nations Springbok jackets and clothing” and prescription medication.
Journalists Brendan Nel and Gavin Rich lost an iPod when their car was broken into at the secure underground carp park at the Pullman Hotel had their car broken into on Thursday last week after parking it in the secure underground car park at the Pullman Hotel in city centre.
Three days ago an American couple travelling in the Kerikeri Basin in the “lawless north” had their camper van broken into and lost a number of irreplaceable belongings including photographs and a travel diary. Elsewhere in Northalnd a Scottish couple’s car was broken into at the Haruru Falls car park, near Paihia. They lost a handbag containing money, passports, phones and medication. More here.
American newlyweds Meghan Scranton and Philip Wilson had travelled the world without incident until they reached Auckland just after the rugby world cup began.
In the three or four minutes they took to enjoy the view from top of Mount Eden thieves broke into their car and stole money and passports. Even their Kiwi hosts hadn’t prepared them for the risks they faced parking in the public car park at the monument.
Earlier in the tournament two rugby jerseys were stolen from Argentinian player Juan Manuel Leguizamon. They were shirts given to him by English and Romanian’s players that he’d played against during the pool games.
Update 21 October
Three foreign tourists (two English and one American) were injured and robbed in separate attacks in the small Northland town of Paihia. You can read more about it in the Northern Advocate: Fan robbed after locals turned nasty
Travel Advisories
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued the following advice for travellers to New Zealand, perhaps other countries should be doing the same to protect their citizens
Safety and Security – Crime
Street crimes 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) have increased. There has also been an increase in the number of thefts from hotel 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 rooms, but use safe boxes when available. Keep passports, travellers’ cheques, credit cards, etc separate. See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.
It has also issued specific advice to people visiting New Zealand for the rugby world cup, which includes in the safety and security sub section
“The Rugby World Cup is likely to attract opportunistic thieves. Keep all possessions – especially your passport – secure. Do not leave possessions in unattended vehicles even if out of sight in a locked boot. See our Victims of Crime Abroad page.”
Australia has also issued travel advisories saying its nationals should exercise a high degree of caution whilst visiting New Zealand, saying in their world cup bulletin
“We advise you to be alert to your own security while in New Zealand, pay close attention to your personal safety at all times and monitor the media and local information sources for news about possible safety and security risks. You should read our travel advisories for more information.”
You may also be interested in
Chilean Tourist Robbed, Loses Life’s Work
Te Anau Troubled By Tourist Attacks
Honeymoon Couple Lose Precious Photos, No ‘Gold Medal’
Czech Tourist, Jan Fakotor, Stabbed In Motueka
English tourist mugged in Gisborne
Chilean tourist punched, robbed in Nelson
A group of students that were beaten and robbed whilst on a treasure hunt at the Hundertwasser toilets in Kawakawa, Northland
A series of random, unprovoked attacks in Queenstown
Previous robbery of British tourists at Kerosene Creek
Tourists robbed at Kerosene Creek
Three French tourists beaten and robbed in their campervan in Mangamuka, Northland – police have yet to resolve this crime
A family of Swiss tourists that were assaulted and racially abused in Kaitaia, Northland
Anke Kuballa and Marc Busch from Germany who were robbed in Whangarei, Northland
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, Northland
Three Chinese tourists attacked and robbed at Te paki, 90 Mile Beach, Northland, 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, Northland.
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.
E2NZ.org 
They are very good at breaking into vehicles, and they will take anything not nailed down, because wages are so low and material goods are so expensive on this isolate island. My car was broken into in a wide-open public car park in daytime, surrounded by other cars and people, and “uncool old CDs” were stolen, along with a good-quality but used child’s jacket with name written on the tag. These would not be worth a petty criminal’s time anywhere but a society with a great deal of poverty.
When people see someone breaking into a car, they usually assume that it’s the owner who locked his keys in the car.
In a nation that boasts how much better it cares for its own citizens than certain other evil countries without proper social welfare programmes, you can read about desperate, deaf robbers –
http://www.hawkesbaytoday.co.nz/news/lawyer-says-deaf-robber-sad-case/1129385/