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Allegations of Abuse
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Further
claims of rape by police officers were surfacing today following the
Government's decision to order a commission of inquiry into the handling of
pack-rape allegations. National
Radio reported that an Auckland Sexual Abuse Help Foundation counsellor knew
of four cases in the past 18 months of rape complaints against police that
did not make it to court. Counsellor
Caroline Day said at least one woman was persuaded by police that her claim
would not stand up in court. "It's
a harrowing court system to put anyone through," she said. "My
understanding is that, on at least one occasion, there has been a bit of
dissuasion about taking this case forward, as in police advising, 'Look, this
isn't going to stand up'." Former
Police Association secretary Bob Moodie said he knew of another case
involving a female police officer who did not pursue her claim of rape by a
male colleague. The
reason was that she had no confidence in any subsequent investigation. "I
know of a case where a woman police officer was raped by a CIB officer,"
Dr Moodie told National Radio. "She
never complained. She couldn't complain. She wouldn't complain and the reason
she wouldn't is because she had no confidence her complaint would ever be
investigated and she knew that she would be a greater casualty and a bigger
victim of the situation than she actually was." Prime
Minister Helen Clark announced the commission of inquiry on Tuesday after
claims that Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas was pack-raped by three police
officers in 1986 when she was 18. All
three have strenuously denied the allegations. One
of the three, The
commission will also consider wider issues within the police force. Miss
Clark said yesterday that another case of alleged rape, in Northland 16 years
ago, was the "final straw" when she considered the Government's
response to Mrs Nicholas' claims. Details
of Judith Garrett's case were sent to Miss Clark after Mrs Nicholas'
allegations were made public at the weekend. "Believe
me, what was sent to me... my hair stood on end," she said. Miss
Clark said the two cases raised questions about the culture within the police
and the conduct of individual officers and whether the course of justice had
been perverted. "The
question which is on everyone's mind is what were the prevailing standards of
police behaviour where group sex with relatively young women was not
considered a matter of concern to the employer?" Mrs
Garrett, 60, is also calling for police to re-open a criminal investigation
into her complaint that a Kaitaia constable handcuffed and raped her in the
town's police station in March 1988. The
officer admitted having sex with her, but said it was consensual. In
1994, Mrs Garrett took a private prosecution against the Attorney-General,
alleging a police cover-up. Despite
finding that the initial investigation had not been carried out properly, a
High Court jury at Whangarei ruled against her on the basis that the
investigating officer had not been motivated by malice. Mrs
Garrett said she was shocked by the similarities between her experience and
that of Mrs Nicholas. "I
feel that the public have absolutely no idea of what happens within the
police force and they should be informed." Police
national headquarters spokesman Jon Neilson said historical cases relevant to
that of Mrs Nicholas, including Ms Garrett's, would be reviewed as part of a reopened
criminal investigation into Mrs Nicholas' allegations. Deputy
Commissioner Steve Long would make decisions about any matters that appeared
to warrant future action, Mr Neilson said. |
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