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Allegations of Abuse
in NZ |
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Tea Ropati - League Star accused
of rape |
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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=1500916&objectid=10490026 NZ Herald
Tea Ropati, wife Vanessa and their
baby leave the Auckland District Court after the jury delivered its verdicts.
Photo / Kenny Rodger The police adult sexual abuse unit
that arrested former league star Tea Ropati was out to make a name for
itself, his lawyer claimed last night. Gary Gotlieb said the unit was
formed just one week before Ropati was alleged to have sexually violated a
woman he met in a Ponsonby Rd bar in June 2006. Yesterday, after a seven-day
hearing, an Auckland jury yesterday acquitted the former Warriors and Kiwis
player of six sex charges. Last night on TV One's CloseUp, Mr
Gotlieb said police were looking to prove themselves. "Maybe they were trying to do
the impossible," he said. Detective Senior Sergeant Scott
Beard, appearing alongside Mr Gotlieb, rejected the suggestion. "Not at all. This case had
already been reported to the police prior to that squad being formed,"
said Mr Beard, who oversees the adult sexual abuse unit. Mr Gotlieb replied: "And you
came in and go 'whammo' and 'We're going to prove ourselves'." The barrister said police had
played "hardball" with Ropati right from the beginning. "The day we made the
statement to police, we came in voluntarily, and talked about name
suppression. They agreed, and then changed the rules and said they wanted his
name published ... I went off my nut." Mr Gotlieb told the Herald that in
the 38 years he had been working on rape trials he had seen the law go
"so anti-male it's not funny". "We've got so bloody
PC," he said. During the trial he asked whether
men would have to "take a Breathalyser" out with them. "That's how stupid we've
got." Police Association president Greg
O'Connor said Mr Gotlieb knew enough about police work to know what he was
claiming was wrong. "It was mischievous and muck-raking." Mr Beard said the complaint
against Ropati was made in June 2006 and initially dealt with by the crime
squad on duty that night, then passed on to the investigative squad. He said because police were busy
with homicides around the time of the complaint, they could not give the
woman "the full attention she deserved". He said the sexual assault team
was then formed in July following the Commission of Inquiry into Police
Conduct and the woman's case was passed on to them. "We'd come under
scrutiny about how police dealt with victims of rape." Mr Beard denied that the police
were out to prove themselves with a celebrity scalp. He said there was sufficient
evidence to take Ropati to court. "Sometimes we know who the
defendant is but sometimes you don't. "You don't know what you're
going to find. We had to consider the welfare of the victim. "It doesn't matter if she's
had too much to drink or not. We don't prosecute every single person. We are
not the judge or the jury. The courts accepted the complaint." Mr Beard said the police had
received positive feedback from the Crown and outside agencies about the new
squad, which is continuing to support the victim after the trial. As the not-guilty verdicts were
delivered the courtroom erupted as members of Ropati's family, led by brother
Peter, shouted and hurled abuse at the court system, police and the media. "This should never have
happened, it should never have come to this," Peter Ropati yelled,
before Judge Phil Gittos ordered him out. But Mr Ropati continued his tirade
outside the courtroom, blasting the prosecution as "a waste of
money" and "a pile of poop". Tea Ropati was more subdued as he left
the court, thanking his family and friends for their support over the past
few months. Mr Gotlieb read a statement from
his client outside the court in which Ropati said he had "ongoing"
issues with alcohol to address. "I never doubted that I would
be found innocent of the charges. I have been honest and up-front at all
times with everyone concerned, beginning with police on the day I learned of
these allegations against me." He thanked his wife Vanessa, his
children, parents and siblings for standing by him through the
"extraordinarily" difficult time. "I have five young children
and I am uncertain what the future holds." |
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