29 Dec 2011

Cook Islands police dealing with a crime wave through the Christmas break

6:29 pm on 29 December 2011

Cook Islands police have been dealing with a Christmas crime wave in which there has been a stabbing, eight domestic disputes, seven burglaries and seven people taken to hospital in Rarotonga.

So far five people have been arrested in relation to festive crime and police remain on the hunt for a convicted offender remanded on bail.

Detective Inspector Areumu Ingaua says the majority of the domestic disputes were alcohol related, and one resulted in a stabbing at a Nikao beach party on Christmas day.

Inspector Ingaua says the victim is in good health.

Five of the burglaries were at tourist accommodation properties and two at residential addresses.

Three of the four vehicle accidents were alcohol related and Inspector Ingaua says the people taken to hospital had minor to moderate injuries.

One was a hit and run in the village of Arorangi, where a young woman driving a motorbike was hit from behind by a vehicle travelling in the same direction.