November 23, 2015 3:35pm by David Farrar

DNA solves a crime

DNA evidence taken from a man 17 years after he abucted and raped a woman has led to his conviction and a lengthy prison sentence.

Glenn Te Kahu, 38, was arrested in Whanganui on December 10 last year, and a DNA sample was taken from him as police planned to charge him with intending to injure.

Since a 2010 law change to the Criminal Investigations (Blood Samples) Act 1995, police have been permitted to obtain DNA from people they intend to charge with an imprisonable offence.

When Te Kahu’s DNA was entered in the national profile databank a “hit” occurred, and it was matched to an unsolved rape and abduction in Napier on the evening of February 5, 1998.

The victim, a 27-year-old woman, was out having drinks in a Napier bar with her fiance and another couple. About 2am the group decided to leave the bar. As they walked back to their car, the woman was ahead of the group and turned into a side street.

Te Kahu, a 20-year-old Mongrel Mob member at the time, was standing next to his car on the side street. He grabbed the woman, threatened to kill her if she disobeyed, and pushed her into the car before speeding away. He dragged her on to the beach at Marine Parade and raped her, then ran to his car and drove away.

The victim screamed for help and people came to her aid. She spoke to police, who took swabs from her and entered the DNA in the national databank.

Despite an investigation that lasted months, the woman’s attacker was not found – until December last year.

Great to see the law change working, and a rapist going to jail for his crime.

Sadly two parties voted against the law change in 2009 – Greens and Maori Party.