An 18-year-old woman who claimed to be the victim of an abduction attempt in North Dunedin made the incident up, police say.
The Otago Daily Times reported police saying a woman managed to fight her way out of a station wagon during an attempted abduction involving two offenders in Forth St on May 7.
At the time, Detective Sergeant Neil Lowden, of Dunedin, said the woman reported being grabbed by a back-seat passenger in a parked station wagon about 4.25pm.
The passenger tried to pull her into the vehicle, and the driver also tried to push her into the back seat, he said.
In a statement, a police spokeswoman now says that after a "thorough investigation'', police had found the complaint to be false.
"Police are working closely with the family of the complainant and are unable to make further comment at this stage.''
There was no indication whether the woman would be charged.
