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The Press Allegations of child sexual abuse
against a prominent Canterbury man, dating back more than 30 years went
before a depositions hearing in Christchurch District Court yesterday. Little can be published of the
hearing, at which four crown witnesses gave evidence. Evidence of two other
witnesses was handed in written form to Judge John Bisphan. The accused, a 61-year-old
Canterbury man, has suppression of his name and all references to his
occupation or business. The courts have also banned
publication of the locations where the sexual abuse is alleged to have taken
place. A series of other details have
been suppressed and Judge Bisphan imposed a further order yesterday stopping
publication of part of the evidence from two childhood friends of the
complainant. Earlier suppression orders have
been confirmed by a ruling in the High Court. Crown prosecutor Jane Farish said
the case – in which the accused faces seven charges – concerned abuse of a
girl from the age of about seven until she was 16. Cross-examined by defence counsel
Jonathan Eaton, a childhood friend of the complainant said she had never
formed the view that the complainant had been infatuated by the older man. Nor did the complainant say when
she approached her about giving evidence that she was going to seek
compensation from the accused. Another childhood friend, a boy,
recalled an incident when he was aged 10 to 12, when the complainant told him
that the accused had asked her to get into bed with him and they had touched
each other. There were other times when she
had spoken about sexual activity with the man, but they were very vague
memories, he said. He also said he did not gain the
impression that his friend was infatuated with the man. Another close teenage girlfriend
told the court that the complainant had told her about sexual activity with
the accused. Each time it happened, she would
hear about it. It would involve touching, oral sex, and "sexual activity".
She told Farish she was shocked by
it, but she said: "She seemed really happy, she seemed really in love.
From what I understood, it may not be right, but my girlfriend's being loved
and she's happy, so she's not in danger is she?" She saw affectionate contact
between the pair, but no intimate contact. In written evidence, a high school
girlfriend said the complainant said she was infatuated with the accused, and
they had had sex. The man faces charges of sexual
violation, two of indecent assault on a girl aged under 12, one of indecent
assault on the same girl aged 12 to 16, and three charges of raping the girl
when she was aged 12 to 16. The hearing was adjourned to
February 8 for the judge to consider whether the complainant should give depositions
evidence in person. –NZPA |
