|
Allegations of Abuse
in NZ |
||
|
Tea Ropati - League Star accused
of rape |
||
|
Radio NZ A jury considering its verdict in
the case of a former rugby league international accused of rape will resume
its deliberations on Thursday. Tea Ropati, 41, denies six charges
of sexual violation of a woman in Auckland in June 2006. The former Warriors and Kiwis
international says he engaged in consensual sexual activity with the
36-year-old complainant. However, the woman says she was
too drunk to consent to sex, and an honourable man would have recognised
this. The jury at the Auckland District
Court began deliberating on Wednesday afternoon but was sent home at about
6pm after jurors told the judge they were tired. In his instructions, District
Court Judge Phil Gittos told the jury to discount Mr Ropati's standing as a
league star and to put aside any notion of morals. Mr Ropati's defence lawyer, Gary
Gotlieb, says his client's reputation has been sullied and the only thing he
has done wrong is cheat on his wife. |
||
