An Australian foreign diplomat’s partner has had his immunity waived after footage emerged of him shouting a homophobic slur at police while being arrested in New Zealand.
The man was arrested at 3.30am on Dixon Street in Wellington in the early hours of September 29, hours after the All Blacks rugby team beat the Australian Wallabies in the New Zealand capital to retain the Bledisloe Cup for the 22nd time. consecutive year.
Police responded to reports of a fight and allegedly found a man involved in an altercation with two teenagers before he was handcuffed.
The melee was filmed by another teenager, 19, who claimed his friends were confronted by an aggressive man.
Footage shows the man, believed to be an associate of an Australian diplomat, swearing at police after they allegedly used a homophobic slur.
“You fucking stupid, I have diplomatic immunity, you f***,” he can be heard shouting in a video provided to Stuff.
Due to the seriousness of the alleged incident, New Zealand police initiated an application to remove the man’s immunity from being charged.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed on Wednesday that it had “provided immunity waivers, allowing police to take next steps”.
The Australian Government has waived the immunity of a foreign diplomat’s partner after he was filmed shouting a homophobic slur while being detained in Wellington on September 29.
The department also said it would “make no further comment” as the matter was now solely with New Zealand Police.
Footage of the incident was provided to local police, who were also in contact with the Australian High Commission during the investigation.
Police have yet to detail what charges they plan to bring against the man.
“We cannot comment further while these investigations are ongoing,” a police statement read.
While the New Zealand police requested the exemption, no New Zealand politicians offered public support for the measure.
Prime Minister Chris Luxon declined to comment on whether he supported the man facing charges, and Foreign Minister Winston Peters declined to comment throughout.
“That’s a matter for the police,” Luxon said when asked by reporters about the matter.
“I’m not going to go into that issue while there is an investigation underway and ultimately it is an issue that needs to be resolved appropriately.”
Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles also avoided giving details when asked about the case while in New Zealand for a meeting of regional defense ministers.
“We expect all our diplomats and their families abroad to respect the laws of the countries they are in. That is an issue our diplomatic community understands well,” he told Radio NZ.
Footage of his arrest (pictured) was provided to local police, who were also in contact with the Australian High Commission during the investigation.
The teen who filmed the arrest claimed the man “just flipped a switch and got very aggressive” with his friends.
“He shouted at us at the top of his lungs: ‘I’m ready to die, I’m going to take on you three,’ and that’s when I got a little scared,” he told Stuff.
The video shows the man pressed against a wall during his arrest and another photo taken by the teen also shows him handcuffed, lying face down in the street.
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement that all diplomats are expected to respect the laws of their host country.
“Deployed officials and their dependents are expected to respect the law of the countries to which they are posted,” read a statement given to The Age.
Ministers from both New Zealand and Australia have reportedly been briefed on the issue.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it expects foreign nations to waive immunity if “a serious crime is alleged to have been committed.”
Former New Zealand diplomat Peter Hamilton told Stuff that the diplomat in question is likely to be removed from his position.
‘It is a serious case because it is an embarrassing issue. (Australia) could choose to recall the diplomat as has happened in the past and send him home,’ he said.
Hamilton added that New Zealand also has the option of expelling the diplomat.
