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Allegations of Abuse
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A former police officer is standing
trial for allegedly handcuffing and raping a woman at a Far North station 18
years ago. The man admits he had sex with the
alleged victim at the Kaitaia station and was booted off the force for it,
but denies it was rape. The trial began in Auckland on
Monday and both the former officer's name and the victim's name have been
suppressed. The accused faces a total of eight
charges including rape, assault and unlawful sexual connection, which refer
back to the alleged incident in 1988. The police investigation was reopened
in 2004. A jury of seven women and five men
was selected on Monday morning. Prior to that Judge Lance told potential
jurors there had been a lot of media coverage of police conduct in the 1980s
and if they could not be impartial they should discharge themselves from the
jury. The prosecution and the defence
made their opening arguments and the complainant gave evidence on Monday
afternoon. Crown prosecutor Claire Bennett told
the jury the accused forced his victim back to a Far North police station
before repeatedly raping her. She said the woman was tricked out of the car,
handcuffed and forced inside the station where she was raped four times and
sexually violated. The Crown said the officer had
already made advances on another woman but the defence said police looked
into the rape claim at the time and decided not to lay charges. Defence lawyer Gary Gottlieb did
not dispute the sex took place, but said he would prove not only that it was
consensual, but that the complainant initiated it. The woman lost a private
prosecution over the alleged rape back in 1994 but the defence said the case
was only re-opened following the publicity over the police rape allegations
made by Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas. The alleged victim and the accused
were drinking at a hotel on the morning of the incident. On the stand, the complainant said
she had reluctantly agreed to drive the drunk policeman home. She told the
court he smelt of alcohol and vomit and alleges he attempted to put his hand
on her leg and kiss her twice. He then asked her to stop at the police
station and tricked her out of her car by saying her headlights were not
working properly. Once out of the car, she said he
handcuffed her and forced her into the station where he raped her four times,
sexually violated her and assaulted her. The woman said she made it
perfectly clear she did not want to have sex with him and that she wanted to
go home. She said she was scared and wanted it to end. |
