New Zealander charged with sex assaults on drugged backpackers

[webfact]

New Zealander charged with sex assaults on drugged backpackers

WELLINGTON - A New Zealand hotelier allegedly videotaped himself indecently assaulting at least 16 foreign male tourists after drugging them while they stayed at his backpacker lodge, police said Wednesday.

Police said 56-year-old Michael Harris appeared in court on 39 charges including indecent assault, drugging a victim and making and possessing intimate recordings.

They said the alleged sex attacks were carried out on 16 males aged between 18 and 25 over the past three years at a backpacker lodge in the North Island town of Kaitaia, which is in the popular Northland tourist area.

All of the men whom Harris is accused of attacking were international tourists, police said. They did not release their nationalities.

Detective Senior Sergeant Rhys Johnston said there could be more victims and appealed for them to come forward.

"These victims are unlikely to know that something has happened to them, although they may have suspicions," he said.

"We will deal sensitively with them and offer all appropriate support required."
AFP

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/New-Zealander-charged-with-sex-assaults-on-drugged-30242960.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-10

[ezzra]

Must a terrible thing waking up in the morning with a sore bum and not knowing why,

it could throw all your day off really.....

[oldsailor35]

56 yrs old ! Poor bugger, he has no chance of catching a sheep like the rest of em do !

[surfinglife]

Kaitaia...been a few times....never stopped....good

[wombat]

"These victims are unlikely likely to know that something has happened to them"........pmsl

[GuyL]

Some hoteliers are a real pain in the a... Literally!

[Scott]

I certainly hope that the police handle the victims more sensitively than posters on TV do.

[Benmart]

I find no humor in the misfortune and pain of others.

Let justice take its course.

[rotary]

So it appears that not only sheep have to be nervous in New Zealand..................

[GuyL]

I certainly hope that the police handle the victims more sensitively than posters on TV do.

I suspect that some of us wouldn't have posted humoristic (or tasteless, depending on your view on them) comments if it wasn't stated the following in the opening post: "These victims are unlikely to know that something has happened to them, although they may have suspicions"

I am not insensitive, but I hesitate to say that I feel their pain. Actually, I'd rather not... but I empathize.

[ggt]

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I certainly hope that the police handle the victims more sensitively than posters on TV do.

Aaw...Scott...you are so sensitive...you been to New Zealand?

[Bulldozer Dawn]

When Basil Faulty crosses over to the dark side...

[Nuddy]

When Basil Faulty crosses over to the dark side...

Oh mate that made me laugh out loud.

Well done.

[alfalfa19]

How could they not know that they were victims of assault with a friendly weapon? Seems like they would know, one way or another.

[pattayasteeve]

BACK....................................PACKERS ROOM WITH A EWE LOLS

[Torrens54]

56 yrs old ! Poor bugger, he has no chance of catching a sheep like the rest of em do !

Baaaa!

Obviously he would have gone after the Rams and not the Ewes so there would have been fewer choices for him. Bugger is right!

[cornishcarlos]

Kaitaia...been a few times....never stopped....good

At least not that you were aware of... The police might have a video contradicting that statement though

[enufsaid]

How could you not know some one had been poking around where they shouldn't

[Neeranam]

I certainly hope that the police handle the victims more sensitively than posters on TV do.

I suspect that some of us wouldn't have posted humoristic (or tasteless, depending on your view on them) comments if it wasn't stated the following in the opening post: "These victims are unlikely to know that something has happened to them, although they may have suspicions"

I am not insensitive, but I hesitate to say that I feel their pain. Actually, I'd rather not... but I empathize.

Empathize or sympathize? There's a huge difference.

[spidermike007]

I find no humor in the misfortune and pain of others.

Let justice take its course.

I second that. And let us hope he spends the rest of his life in prison, where he will get a chance to be the "girlfriend" for many, many years to come.

[GuyL]

I certainly hope that the police handle the victims more sensitively than posters on TV do.

I suspect that some of us wouldn't have posted humoristic (or tasteless, depending on your view on them) comments if it wasn't stated the following in the opening post: "These victims are unlikely to know that something has happened to them, although they may have suspicions"

I am not insensitive, but I hesitate to say that I feel their pain. Actually, I'd rather not... but I empathize.

Empathize or sympathize? There's a huge difference.

Sorry, yes, sympathize is the correct verb here. I am not a native English speaker and I sometimes don't use the appropriate words to express my views in English.

[ukguyinthai]

Why are people on here joking about guys being drugged, raped and videoed? Do you joke the same about girls being raped?

[thedemon]

Guess that some of the jokers above will go quiet after reading this;

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11323776

"Born in Britain, Harris lived in Chesterfield, Derbyshire and moved to New Zealand about 10 years ago"

[CMNightRider]

When this guy gets convicted of raping these people and gets sent to prison, he won't have a happy time in there. The only thing lower than a rapist in prison is a child molister. The convicts will make him pay rent, make a girl out of him, or stab him up.