Police lose track of distressed teenager

[Newtown-Fella]

this is strange !!

A distraught Lower Hutt father is pleading for information about his missing daughter, four days after she disappeared from Wellington Central police station.

Patricia Goffe, 18, was last seen at 2am on Monday when she went to Wellington Central police station for help after losing her wallet.

Her father, Robert Goffe, was called by police, who said Miss Goffe was distressed and wanted to go home to her parents' house in Stokes Valley.

Mr Goffe was unable to collect his daughter, so police offered to drop her at Lower Hutt police station when a patrol car became available.

"That was two o'clock in the morning," Mr Goffe said. "We went out at about 7.30am to the Lower Hutt police station but they hadn't seen anything or heard anything."

He had not been able to find out from police what happened after they rang, except that at some point, Miss Goffe went missing from the Wellington station. "Nobody knew what had happened."

His daughter had been in a good frame of mind when she left Stokes Valley last Thursday to stay in Wellington while she worked during Waitangi weekend, Mr Goffe said. "She was happy when she left. No arguments or anything."

She was in a steady relationship and planned to train as a hairdresser this year. Her disappearance was a mystery and the family feared for her safety.

"We're just a bit beside ourselves. I don't know where she might have gone. She definitely wanted to come home."

Miss Goffe's friends had not heard from her and her employer told the family she did not turn up for work at the weekend. She was not answering her cellphone.

She has now been officially reported missing and her father hoped police would find her.

"They've got a report [and] we gave them photos.

"She has been away before but not for long and normally she's in contact."

Sergeant Corey Watts said he had not spoken to the officer who was on duty at Wellington Central on the night Miss Goffe disappeared. "All I know is that she's been reported missing."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/4845871a23918.html

[k1w14ever]

It does not sound good does it.
You have to wonder what else is going on here.
Poor kid I hpe she is ok

[Lovelee]

Sounds similar to that model lass who went missing from Piha.

[guest49]

I guess the Police are not a taxi service.  They offered to take her to lower hutt when a car became available.  They cant prevent her from leaving in the meantime.

I do wonder at a parent who wont make some sort of arrangement when his daughter rings for help - I'm sure if he rang for a taxi, there would have been no problem.

[dragontamer]

Poor kid.  The family must be going up the wall and blaming themselves as much as the police - the 'if only' game going on in her poor dads mind.  He thought he had a safe solution to the predicament - that's proved to be not so for them.

My dad got a phone call at 2am from the police when my brother was 14.

"We have your son here".

"Ok" said dad, and hung up.

They ring back and said "Come and get him"

Dad said "Nah, you've got him, you keep him.".

After about 4 or 5 calls along this vein, they gave up and brought him home. 

[Newtown-Fella]

MISSING TEEN SIGHTED IN CENTRAL WELLINGTON
New Zealand Police Wellington News Release
1:16pm 13 February 2009
http://www.police.govt.nz/news/release.html?id=4782
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Missing eighteen-year-old Patricia Goffe of Stokes Valley was seen last night in Cuba Street, central Wellington, and appeared to be safe and well.

A Stokes Valley resident who knows her by sight has contacted police this morning to say Patricia was walking with another girl about the same age near The Matterhorn bar in Cuba Street at 5.10pm.  She appeared to be safe and well.  Attempts to access her bank accounts have also been logged in the central city.

Police urge Patricia or the friends she is with to contact Lower Hutt Police who hold the missing persons file on the teenager or for Patricia to get in touch with her parents.

Patricia is Maori/European, average height and dark brown hair streaked red and blonde.  She has black three quarter pants, a black shoulder bag, and both a black fleecy top and a light coloured jacket with black and white stripes near the shoulder.

Patricia hasn't been in touch with family since she left Wellington Central Police Station shortly after 2am on Monday, 9 February, after asking police for a ride home from the city to her Stokes Valley home.  She was reported missing by her parents to Lower Hutt Police on Wednesday.

Inspector Mike Hill, Wellington City Area Police Commander, said police offered a range of transport options to Patricia and her parents early on Monday morning.

"We did everything we could to help including talking with the family to see if they or friends could pick her up.  We were advised this was not possible.  We considered taking her to Lower Hutt Police Station if a patrol car became available but all our patrols were busy with emergency calls for service including an armed robbery in the city."

It was suggested Patricia wait in the watchhouse until she could return to friends in Newtown where she had spent the weekend.  However Patricia chose to leave.

"The safety of people is important to us," Inspector Hill said.  "Our people did their best to help but the reality is that we cannot readily free up response patrol cars to take someone home from Wellington city to Stokes Valley at that time of the day without compromising our ability to respond to emergency calls for help.

"Patricia did not appear distressed or concerned when she was in the station.  She made the decision to leave when she did."

"People including young adults choose to leave home for a few days for a range of reasons.  The indications are that Patricia is safe and with friends in the city but we hope she does contact us or her family.  They're concerned as are we and all of us would like to see her back at home."

Police also encourage young people and their families to ensure they have transport arrangements in place before they go out socialising.

Ends

released by:

Kaye Calder

Wellington Police District communications manager

tel 04 496 3464

[guest49]

Well.  There it is!
All the fault of the police then.

[Brownie55]

 Stokes Valley resident who knows her by sight has contacted police this morning to say Patricia was walking with another girl about the same age near The Matterhorn bar in Cuba Street at 5.10pm.  She appeared to be safe and well.  Attempts to access her bank accounts have also been logged in the central city.

So, she is still about but not contacting any family...  wonder why

[bump head benny]

Those bank account attempts are probably the hua thats got her wallet maybe?

[dragontamer]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4847937a11.html

You got sum 'splaining to do missy!

[Calliope]

An 18-year-old woman who disappeared after seeking help from police in Wellington early last Monday has been found safe and well.

Patricia Goffe, from Stokes Valley, is understood to have asked police for a ride home from the city's central police station, but then disappeared without contacting family or police.

Detective Sergeant Dean Simpson, from Lower Hutt CIB, said she was located last night at an address in Lower Hutt and returned home.

"Ms Goffe was well, and unaware she had been reported missing by her family," he said.

"Police encourage and strongly recommend that young people and their families keep in communication, and ensure they have transport arrangements in place before they go out socialising," Mr Simpson said.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/5320866

[DidiMau69]

The bloody rotten Police bastards, they should have put her up in the Holiday Inn for the night.

And invited her family in to stay with her at the taxpayers expense. Meals and drinks included.





Ain't it great being a taxpayer?