A goth-themed party in Dunedin\u2019s student quarter ended with three people being transported to Dunedin Hospital “in various states of consciousness” after having objects thrown at their heads, police say.<\/p>\n
It comes as police point the finger at out-of-towners, coming to Dunedin for Flo-Week, for ongoing issues such as smashed glass bottles.<\/p>\n
At times, a few hundred people were at Saturday\u2019s Goth-themed Flo-Week party at the corner of Castle and Howe Sts.<\/p>\n
Sergeant Matt Lee, of Dunedin, said three people were treated and transported to Dunedin Hospital “in various states of consciousness” after being hit on the head by “thrown objects”.<\/p>\n
There were otherwise no major issues; police broke up a couple of “minor scuffles” in the vicinity.<\/p>\n
The street was covered in broken glass after the party ended, Sgt Lee said.<\/p>\n
Dunedin\u2019s campus cop, Senior Constable John Woodhouse,\u00a0said throwing and smashing glass bottles would not be tolerated.<\/p>\n
“If you smash a bottle deliberately on the ground, you\u2019re going to the proctor,” Snr Const Woodhouse said.<\/p>\n
“If you throw one into the crowd, you\u2019re going to court.”<\/p>\n
On Wednesday morning, a young man was found by University of Otago Campus Watch staff lying on the ground with critical injuries after falling 10m from a building \u2014 leaving him in an induced coma.<\/p>\n
Snr Const Woodhouse confirmed that man, while not a University of Otago student, was a student at another New Zealand tertiary institution.<\/p>\n
Glass bottles being thrown from within mosh pits continued to be a “bane” for police, he said.<\/p>\n
It could result in head injuries and while police had tried to address the problem, it was “almost impossible to identify the offender”.<\/p>\n
Flo-Week, the annual student-organised orientation week for flats, had been a phenomenon for at least the past decade but was “certainly getting bigger”, Snr Const Woodhouse said.<\/p>\n
What had started as just having a few beers had grown to the point where professional musicians and DJs were getting involved.<\/p>\n
The behaviour of university students overall this year had been “excellent”, for the sheer amount of people celebrating, he said.<\/p>\n
“[We] continue to have problems with students that are coming out of the area and then causing one or two issues.”<\/p>\n
Those issues included the “ongoing breaking of bottles” and minor disorders, Snr Const Woodhouse said.<\/p>\n
However, the behaviour at Flo-Week continued to improve.<\/p>\n
Students on the whole appreciated the efforts of police to create a safe environment, which sometimes meant shutting down roads.<\/p>\n
That was to prevent large parties forming in small student flats where police could not supervise.<\/p>\n
Snr Const Woodhouse acknowledged locals might see a mess on the street the morning after a party.<\/p>\n
“It\u2019s just a small price to pay.<\/p>\n
“The drinking will happen whether we like it or not …”<\/p>\n
He encouraged students to have a good time in a safe environment.<\/p>\n
“Don\u2019t be afraid to come out into Castle [St] and have a good time \u2014 the police are there to ensure a safe environment.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019re not here to be the party police.”<\/p>\n