Another sad reminder today that New Zealand continues to be a brutally unsafe place for women and tourists, whilst Christchurch has a hard time living down its reputation as the nation’s murder capital. Until the National led government recently started interfering with reporting requirements by making “procedural changes that wiped thousands of crimes off the stats” New Zealand had the fifth highest murder rate in the OECD and with good reason.
Cissy Chen, murdered in North Shore
First, the remains of a woman’s body found in a park drain in North Shore have been identified as those of 44 year old Auckland accountant, Bin ‘Cissy’ Chen who had been missing from her Torbay home since 5 November 2012 (Guyfawkes’ Night). Police believe she had been murdered. Workers found her bones at the Totaravale Reserve at lunchtime last Monday.
The discovery of Cissy Chen’s remains comes after the brutal stabbing murder of Rongmei “Mei” Fan, 37, at her home in the Wellington suburb of Mirimar who was last seen alive dropping her children off at the local school in November last year. Visit the Justice for Mei Facebook page.
Rongmei “Mei” Fan murdered in Mirimar
Elsewhere in New Zealand, police have admitted that there could be a link between the weekend rape and murder of a Christchurch woman and female tourists Niki Honda and Michaela Brandl who were robbed and brutalised in Franz Josef, almost 400km away.
Amy Farrall and her pet dog Chop
The body of 24 year old community worker Amy Farrall was found stuffed into the trunk of an abandoned car at New World supermarket in Woolston, Christchurch late yesterday. Amy, who was employed as a caregiver for Richmond Fellowship in Christchurch, had been missing since Saturday afternoon.
Yesterday afternoon two overseas tourists were attacked and left for dead at Franz Josef in Southland. Originally described as “two German women” (Hitchhikers left stabbed, with broken bones – Stuff) who’d accepted a lift near Whataroa, the women were later identified as a 28-year-old German woman and a 27-year-old woman of Japanese and Dutch origin. They suffered serious injuries in the attack, including stab wounds to the neck and a broken pelvis.
Police, mindful of New Zealand’s international reputation, have yet to release the names of the two tourists. The charm offensive to reassure the public about how ‘safe’ New Zealand is has yet to be launched but expect to see that begin any day now.
Update 2/4/14
As predicted, the charm offensive was launced today, two days after the story broke about the tourists: Kiwis reach out to attacked hitchhikers. It is appalling that the country cares more about its international reputation and damage limitation, than the safety of tourists who visit there. Where’s the public information campaign to warn tourists about the dangers they face in New Zealand?
Members of Trademe.co.nz have their say:
Unfortunately attacks against women, children and tourists happen with alarming frequency in New Zealand as any regular reader of this site will know.
Our deepest condolences go out to the families and friends of all the women involved in these awful attacks.
There’s still no word about the outcome of an investigation into the attack on two Dutch tourists in Albert Town a couple of months ago.
Violent New Zealand
Also in today’s news: The mother of a man whose headless skeleton was found in an Auckland garage is “sick to the stomach” her son’s killer is appealing the length of his sentence. Two Auckland teens have been found guilty of murdering a man who they left to die at the side of a road. A Timaru woman was admitted to hospital after being stabbed early yesterday morning. Convicted rapist and murderer Teina Pora has been granted parole. Pora spent 21 years in jail for the 1994 rape and murder of Susan Burdett in her South Auckland home. Police are searching for a 28-year-old convict they believe murdered homeless Auckland man Maqbool Hussain. The sentencing of a South Auckland teen, who paralysed his victim by stabbing him in the neck, almost erupted into a courtroom brawl. Xodus Reece Akapere Taviliniu-Vemoa, 18, was jailed for five years and one month after pleading guilty to wounding Hayden Barton-Cootes. 19… and so on and so on… the daily life of New Zealand continues.
Follow the Sensible Sentencing Trust
Thinking of emigrating to New Zealand to escape crime in your own country? You may want to avoid frying pan to fire syndrome by ‘liking’ and following The Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sensiblesentencingtrust.
Related articles. Also see posts tagged tourist attacks
E2NZ revisited: “Bashing Tourists Now a National Pastime?”
Fifth Teenager Charged for Beating German Tourists in Whakatane – one adult gets bail
Sick German Tourist Attacked in New Zealand “Just for Fun”
Nicole Kleinhoelting, Another German Tourist Loses All in New Zealand
German Tourist Beaten as New Zealanders Stand and Watch
German tourist mugger only given six months community detention
Two More German Tourists, Anke Kuballa and Marc Busch, Robbed In Northland, New Zealand
German Tourists Robbed In Omapere, Northland
German Tourists Attacked in Paihia
Elderly Australian Tourist Stabbed in Head at Waihi Beach, Murder Investigation Launched
Haka Thugs Attack French Tourists Near Raglan
Vicious Sex Attack on 5 Year Old Belgian Tourist – little girl severely injured in a frenzied attack as she lay sleeping in a campervan in Turangi.
Austrian tourists mugged in Palmerston North
Australian honeymooners lose it all two tourists robbed near Milford Sound
Te Anau Troubled By Tourist Attacks -drunken youths attack visitors in Te Anau
Swiss Campers’ Tyres Slashed In Kaikoura
Chilean Tourist Robbed, Loses Life’s Work robbed in a motel near Auckland international airport
“New Zealand is a wonderful country, but be careful as it’s not so safe” – Swiss campervan tourist loses everything in Whangarei
Honeymoon Couple Lose Precious Photos, No ‘Gold Medal’ British couple robbed outside of Auckland zoo
Czech Tourist, Jan Fakotor, Stabbed In Motueka man stabbed in a Motueka backpackers
English tourist mugged in Gisborne female tourist punched and handbag stolen in a street attack, delaying her departure from NZ
Chilean tourist punched, robbed in Nelson man attacked on Nelson cathedral steps by three teenagers
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
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, Bay of Plenty
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, Bay of Plenty
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 and robbed 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 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXdMAXaMicc Skinny girl with limp hair and loose clothes (Kiwi deliberately dressed for this project, to make this very point, and not strutting) walk in majority-Asian Auckland for a short amount of time, and loudly proclaims “this doesn’t happen in New Zealand”. We’re onto ya, sorry, New Zealand. Just because your sexual abuse isn’t overt doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Top of the Lake is closer to reality than this “manufactured” time slice.
Bradley Ambrose (of teatapes fame) filmed the walk. Despite the woman being stalked by one man, NZ was still proclaimed to be a safe place for women.
A few years ago when actor Anna Faris was subjected to sexist catcalls on an Auckland street her complaint was dismissed as invalid because she was a “pot head stoner” ( a role she played in a film) It’s little wonder NZ women habitually dress-down and rarely make official complaints about sexual abuse. The first question is invariably “what were you wearing” e.g. the young girl who complained to the police about being raped by #Roastbuster gang. Police decided to take no action in that case.
This post has been updated.
Another day, another domestic murder and another attack on tourists.
Allegedly by a man who was out on parole for string of offences. Strangely, the police haven’t released that information – it came from Corrections.
This article has been updated. Again, we’d like to convey our deepest condolences to the friends and relatives of the women involved in these terrible attacks.
I feel for these poor women suffering this type of violence. The worst part is that the (in)justice system in New Zealand usually fails to punish the perpetrator. Perhaps the perpetrator will be the cousin of the people investigating it.