Allegations of Abuse in NZ
	peterellis Home / abuse allegations / Tea Ropati / Page 5 - Further reaction to verdict	Tea Ropati - League Star accused of rape Not Guilty ”a case that should never have gone to trial” - Lawyer
	One News February 4 2008; 19:52 Rape accuser won't be prosecuted Threats to take a private case against Tea Ropati's rape accuser, based on her admitting using cocaine, have been abandoned. The former rugby league star's lawyer, Gary Gotlieb, says Ropati does not endorse the action, suggested by his supporters after his acquittal last week on six sex charges. A legal expert, Scott Optican of Auckland University Law School, says a private case was doomed to fail anyway. He says it could have a chilling effect on victims who may want to come forward with allegations of rape or sexual abuse. "Whether or not the defendant is acquitted, there is a public interest in allowing the defendant to come forward." Optican says the Independent Police Conduct Authority or civil action against police are more appropriate avenues to pursue grievances.