Please attribute statement to Detective Inspector John Van Den Heuvel, Wellington District Investigations Manager:
In July 2019, New Zealand Police received a complaint regarding allegations of indecent assault by a Korean diplomat in Wellington.
After a thorough investigation, an arrest warrant was sought and subsequently issued for the alleged offender in February 2020, on three charges of indecent assault.
As the alleged offender had left New Zealand prior to the complaint being made to Police, consideration had to be given to requesting the extradition of the alleged offender from his home country.
After carefully considering the evidence and legal advice NZ Police has concluded that, while the standard of proof to prosecute the alleged offender and to seek a warrant of arrest had been met, the higher threshold required to initiate extradition proceedings has not been met.
The decision not to seek extradition has been communicated to the complainant. We acknowledge the complainant was disappointed with this outcome.
