Allegations of Abuse in NZ
	peterellis Home / abuse allegations / Tea Ropati / Page 4 - Reaction - Lawyer criticises police	Tea Ropati - League Star accused of rape Not Guilty ”a case that should never have gone to trial” - Lawyer
	NZ Herald February 2 2008 Celebrity status two-edged Letters to the Editor Lawyer Gary Gotlieb says Tea Ropati's ``celebrity'' status was behind his prosecution for allegedly sexually violating a woman. I cannot help thinking that it was actually behind the acquittal, with influence from celebrity character witnesses and a noisy entourage, as well as a smooth, well-paid lawyer. The best-case scenario was that Mr Ropati took advantage of an extremely drunk woman when the decent thing would have been to put her in a taxi home. Therefore, the scenes of elation at the verdict and cries of injustice at the prosecution team seemed ugly and ridiculous. Congratulations to the celebrity friends who helped to gain a not guilty verdict, congratulations to Mr Gotlieb on somehow making Mr Ropati look like a victim, congratulations to Vanessa Ropati for such blind devotion, and congratulations to the justice system for another job well done. At the very least, he could have been sentenced to six weeks at Matthew Ridge's luxury house. Stephen Cook, London Getting drunk Too many women do not own their sexual behaviour in this country. Women have got to step up and acknowledge that you cannot expect to get blind drunk in a bar and have all interested men around you act heroically. Many will do the decent thing and get you into a cab home but most will be drinking, too, and their judgment is impaired. Communication while drunk in a loud nightclub cannot be relied upon. All women want the interested attention of men but we must learn to be more careful. Some men are being dragged through the shameful and arduous process of the courts because of the unwillingness of many women to act appropriately and according to their lack of sexual desire for these men. The message: ladies, drink less. Heidi Bale, New Lynn. Contempt for charge The outburst by the Ropati family and the comments by Gary Gotlieb about the validity of the charges brought in this case are deeply regrettable. It is the right of any woman to lay a complaint of rape and, further, the right of the police to prosecute, regardless of the outcome. The woman in this case is to be commended for having the wherewithal to lay a complaint and see it through. It is unfortunate that the prevailing attitude among defence lawyers is one of contempt not only for the charge of rape but for a complainant who makes such a charge. The comments by the family and Mr Gotlieb were tasteless and insulting. K.N. Rothko, Newmarket. Victorian precepts The unfortunate prosecution of Tea Ropati highlights the inadequacies of the law and the atrociously lopsided application of it. The law and the upholders of that law make the totally baseless presumption that women are never the sexual aggressors and that if both parties are too drunk to give sexual consent, it is the woman who has been raped. The police quite obviously submitted to this prejudice with the case they brought against Mr Ropati. Maybe it's time for them to think outside their Victorian precepts. Roger Clarke, Pirongia. Unequal consequences Tea Ropati has been found not guilty of rape. What then are the consequences for each of the main protagonists? Mr Ropati presumably is left with his previous career in tatters and, in the minds of the public, his name will forever be linked with this case. His accuser walks away, free of any damage to her reputation. Police comments after the trial will leave her feeling vindicated. As for the police, I wonder if their reasons for taking this case to court might include a desire to deflect attention from their own shameful record in abusing vulnerable women. What are the processes by which cases such as this go to court? How are decisions made about naming or suppression of identities? This trial and its outcome are a shameful reflection of our existing system. At the very least, this trial should result in a transparent explanation and review of police and court procedures. Barbara Johnson, St Marys Bay. Grabbing the limelight Ironic, isn't it, that Gary Gotlieb should accuse the police adult sexual abuse unit of being out to make a name for itself over the Tea Ropati case. I wonder who is trying to grab the limelight _ the police or Mr Gotlieb? It is a travesty that a woman's rights are compromised simply because she is too compromised to say no. Greg Morris, Bayswater.