“Scared for our safety” – stranger sparks student concern

A late night break-in at student accommodation in central Christchurch has sparked safety fears.

Lucy Rotch, a student at Ara Institute of Canterbury, was sitting with friends in her flat at the student hall of residence, Otautahi House, on Saturday night. 

At 10.45pm, they noticed an unfamiliar male figure, wearing a white Leisure Club hoodie, climbing onto a fence at the back of the accommodation car park.

The man was seen looking around the area before putting on a pair of gloves. 

At this point, Rotch and her flatmates began video recording the man and alerted security. 

“At first, I was really shocked and kind of laughing as well," Rotch said.

Upon realising that he was being watched, the man jumped off the fence, walked across the carpark and sat down on a picnic table – now in the accommodation garden. 

“I soon got really worried that he was going to break into our flat, considering how we were on the bottom floor, and he was really close to us.” 

An Otautahi House staff member spoke to the man and told him security had been contacted.

The alleged intruder eventually exited by jumping over different fences and running on top of garbage bins before leaving the premises at 10.50pm. 

The event took only five minutes, but it significantly shook Rotch.

She said she was thankful her and her peers were safe, but wondered what could have happened if they hadn't seen the intruder and notified security. 

She said the incident exposed the frightening reality of living as young female students in the city centre. 

“Anyone can really break in.” 

Otautahi House staff said the incident was unfortunate, and possibly correlated with the construction of a student common room at the accommodation.  

The accommodation manager, Dayne Ngatuere, said incidents like this were rare but may be related to a break-in at the construction site earlier in July, given the nature and timing of both break-ins. 

He said Otautahi House staff had previously considered adding security features such as barbed wire, but they wanted the accommodation to feel welcoming.

“You don’t want it to look like a prison.”

Ngatuere reiterated how this was an isolated incident, while security and patrol cars were available 24/7 to protect students’ safety and privacy.

An Ara Institute of Canterbury spokesperson said they had been notified of the incident and that the safety of Ara's students was a top priority. 

A police spokeswoman said police received a report of a person at a premises on St Asaph Street around 11pm on Saturday.

Police said no formal report was made afterwards about the incident. Instead, security were advised to keep an eye out, the spokeswoman said.

The police file had been closed.