A Korean woman visiting Queenstown was allegedly racially abused and robbed by members of a stag party early on Saturday night.
The woman, on a tour of New Zealand, was sitting with her friend on a waterfront bench between Earnslaw Park and the jetty at 8.30pm when they were approached by the group of men who started to hassle her, Acting Sergeant Phil Hamlin, of Queenstown, said yesterday.
''She and her friend walked away and left her handbag on her seat, as she realised later,'' he said.
One or more of the men in the stag party allegedly removed the contents of her handbag and scattered them on Earnslaw Park and towards Steamer Wharf, before throwing the bag into a rubbish bin, he said.
The woman's passport was ripped and also thrown into a bin, he said.
Almost $NZ500 and $US80-$US100 was missing, Sgt Hamlin said.
Police apprehended a 19-year-old Mataura man a short time later. He was charged with theft and was expected to appear in the Queenstown District Court on April 22.
Two members of the stag party, brothers from Gore, were also arrested.
One, a 30-year-old, was charged with disorderly behaviour likely to cause violence and threatening behaviour after allegedly being racially abusive and abusive to police, Sgt Hamlin said.
He was expected to appear in the Queenstown District Court on April 22.
His 35-year-old brother was arrested for obstruction, but later given a pre-charge warning, Sgt Hamlin said.
The woman was offered help from Victim Support and police notified
the Korean embassy and Immigration New Zealand.
''With Queenstown being so multicultural in travellers, there's quite an acceptance of all races,'' Sgt Hamlin said, when asked if racially motivated crime was common in the resort.
''If we do hear of anything about racial abuse or racial insensitivity then we certainly take a firm view, as with any other form of abuse.''
