By 3 News online staff
Innocent people had their human rights "negatively impacted" and experienced unnecessary trauma as a result of police actions in the so-called Urewera terror raids, the Human Rights Commission says.
It received 31 complaints about the 2007 raid including being stopped at a roadblock at Ruatoki, being photographed without consent, the impact on children who were confined for several hours without food and the negative implications of the Terrorism Suppression Act.
The Commission says its newly released report focuses on the innocent people affected by the operation which was this year found to be unlawful, unjustified and unreasonable by the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
"These people had done nothing wrong and did not break any laws but had their basic rights trampled," Chief Commissioner David Rutherford says.
The report does not deal with those people arrested or charged as a result of the operation dubbed Operation Eight.
It also found insufficient support and no comprehensive assessment of the impact on innocent people was carried out.
"It’s very clear more should have been done in the immediate aftermath to support innocent people."
However, Mr Rutherford says on the positive side of the ledge, he is pleased police have made changes to ensure a similar event doesn't happen again.
New search and surveillance legislation has been introduced since the operation took place and addresses much of what people had complained about, he says.
3 News
source: newshub archive
