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Allegations of Abuse
in NZ |
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Tea Ropati - League Star accused of
rape |
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NZ Herald
Former Warriors rugby league
player Faatea (Tea) Ropati in the Auckland District Court to face multiple
sex charges. Former Kiwis rugby league star Tea
Ropati walked out on his wife after a heated argument to give each other
space on the night he allegedly raped a woman he met at a bar, a jury was
told today. Giving evidence in her husband's
defence, Vanessa Ropati told Auckland District Court today the pair had a
"heated argument" about "parenting issues". Mrs Ropati, who has a
nine-year-old son from a previous relationship while Ropati has three sons
from a previous marriage, said blending the families had been one of the more
challenging aspects of the marriage. The couple also have a
five-month-old daughter together. Mrs Ropati said the couple shared
a bottle of wine at home, while Ropati may have had a few beers and then
another bottle of wine before he went out. He organised to meet a friend for
a drink after "a heated argument" when it was clear "neither
of us were going to back down". Mrs Ropati said she vaguely
remembered her husband coming home that evening and stumbling into bed. She only learnt of the charges about
six weeks later when Ropati called her from Auckland Central Police Station
telling her to come down. Mrs Ropati said she thought he was
playing a trick on her but when she arrived he told her the full story. Ropati, who has pleaded not guilty
to six sex charges, including one of rape in on June 14 2006, elected not to
given evidence in his own defence. The prosecution claimed that he
took advantage of a drunken woman he met in the Whisky Bar in Ponsonby and
raped her in an Auckland park. Under questioning by Crown
prosecutor Phil Hamlin, Mrs Ropati said the alleged rape happened four months
after their marriage on Valentine's Day 2006. She denied her husband had left
the house to "cool off" but rather to give each other space. A woman, granted name suppression,
who was at The Whisky bar that evening, told the court she had come forward
as a defence witness because she did not agree with how Ropati had been
portrayed as a "predator and sleazy". Police had initially interviewed
the woman because they thought she may have been the woman recorded on
internal cameras in the back room of the bar, where Ropati and his alleged
victim were also filmed. The witness said once she saw the
footage she knew it was not her with another man but had not been able to rule
it out until she was shown it. She said she spoke with Ropati
during the evening and found him friendly. Dr Felicity Smith, a GP and
associate professor at Auckland University, contradicted evidence given by
prosecution witness Dr Ann Williamson about how the alleged victim received
her injuries. Dr Smith said the injuries,
including redness and swelling around the genitals, were common in minor
trauma. Splits in the skin could have been
caused by fingernails, she said. The court also heard from former
league stars Tawerau Nikau and Dean Lonergan who have known Ropati for over
20 years each. Lonergan told the court "I
can't believe I'm up here" having to testify to Ropati's good character. The trial continues on Tuesday. |
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