Kiwi Woman Withdraws Claim She Was Gang-Raped by Tinder Date in Sydney
The Kiwi woman who said she was gang-raped after meeting her Tinder date in Sydney has now retracted her statement late Thursday.
The 28-year-old New Zealand native was in the country for business on Saturday when she met with a man she was introduced to on Tinder, the popular dating app.
She claimed that she met the man alone at a Kings Cross restaurant before they continued to a bar in Martin Place, where the man’s friends joined them. She then began to feel dizzy and numb, and when she woke up later, she was at an unfamiliar property in the Botany area. At least three men allegedly sexually assaulted her.
She was able to leave the property on Sunday morning, and had confided the incident to her colleagues, who reported it to the police. According to the formal statement she gave to the authorities, her date was a Pacific Islander or Maori.
Her alleged rape has prompted the authorities to issue a warning to online dating app users, urging them to take precautions when meeting their date in person.
Kiwi Woman Gang-Raped by Tinder Date and His Friends in Sydney
However, the New South Wales police have now announced that the investigation has concluded after the woman has withdrawn her allegations on Thursday.
“As a result, the investigation into the alleged sexual assault, which was being led by the Sex Crimes Squad, has now concluded pending any further information being provided,” reads the statement from the NSW Police.
“Police would like to thank the media and members of the public for their support.”
It wasn’t revealed if the police have spoken to the woman’s Tinder date.
“Detectives continue to encourage anyone who feels they have been sexually, indecently or physically assaulted in any way to report the matter to police,” the police said. “All reports are treated seriously and are thoroughly investigated.
Users of online dating apps or Web sites are still advised to be careful when meeting their dates.
“Police are also continuing to encourage people who use mobile dating apps and Internet dating services to exercise an appropriate degree of caution when first meeting someone they have been introduced to online.”