A woman is suing Christchurch police for $150,000 after an officer allegedly used boltcutters to remove her piercings.
Lawyer Tony Greig said the woman, believed to be in her thirties, was arrested for obstruction in mid-2008.
Greig said the woman alleged five of her piercings, including one in her genital area, were removed using boltcutters after she was taken into custody.
The woman was acquitted of the obstruction charge in early 2009.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-newspapers/west-coast-6013/news-6662/4605950/Police-sued-over-piercing-removal
Police sued over piercing removal
GILES BROWN
A woman is suing Christchurch police for $150,000 after an officer allegedly used boltcutters to remove her piercings.
Lawyer Tony Greig said the woman, believed to be in her thirties, was arrested for obstruction in mid-2008.
Greig said the woman alleged five of her piercings, including one in her genital area, were removed using boltcutters after she was taken into custody.
The woman was acquitted of the obstruction charge in early 2009.
She had accused a policewoman who allegedly removed the piercings of unlawful sexual connection, breaching the Bill of Rights, trespass to the person and abuse of her position.
The complainant has name suppression because of the accusation of unlawful sexual connection.
“She’s not concerned about the money. She just doesn’t want the same thing to happen to other people. If she only gets a judge to say `Yes, this happened and it’s unacceptable’, that will be enough. If she gets her costs covered and a little bit more, she will be happy,” Greig said.
Professional piercer Jeremy Spivey, of Strowan, said he had an ear-piercing cut off when he was arrested for being drunk and disorderly last year.
He was told to remove about eight piercings in his ears and nose, but could not remove one of them.
Spivey, 26, said police used pliers to cut off the piercing.
“I think they make you take them out because of self-harm. But piercings are pretty blunt, so it would take a long time to cut your skin,” he said.
“They are quite brutal about [taking them out]. They don’t care if they hurt you.”
Spivey, who works as a piercer at the InkGrave tattoo shop in Christchurch, said he had replaced piercings for “quite a few” people after they were cut off by police.
A Christchurch police spokesman said police would not comment while the woman’s case was before the courts. Greig said the case would be heard in the Christchurch District Court in May.
– The Press
There must be some way to avoid getting arrested by cops. NOT saying it was right or wrong, but being arrested is TOTALLY avoidable.