Allegations of Sexual Abuse in NZ
	False Allegations - Index
	Cases - 2005
	NZ Herald October 20 2004 Rape claim against police under investigation NZPA A Christchurch woman's claim she was raped by a police officer in Rotorua 17 years ago is being investigated by Bay of Plenty's top detective. Niki Koster, 38, decided to go to police to complain after Louise Nicholas went public in January with allegations she was pack-raped and violated with a baton by three police officers in Rotorua in 1986. Mrs Nicholas accused Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards, and two men who have since left the police - former Tauranga city councillor Brad Shipton and salesman Bob Schollum - of the pack-rape. The trio have strenuously denied raping Nicholas. Ms Koster claimed the officer who raped her had been drinking with two senior officers earlier on the night in 1987 when the incident took place. She was taken to a house in Rotorua to sleep off a night of heavy drinking and woke to find the officer having sex with her. Too drunk and scared to fight him off, her pleas for him to stop went unheeded, she claimed. "I suppressed it for a lot of years and now I want to talk about it. I feel I have a story. You don't know who you can trust - even if they have got a uniform on," Ms Koster said. Bay of Plenty police crime manager Detective Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair, confirmed he was investigating Koster's allegation. Mr Wright-St Clair had not yet spoken to Ms Koster, but had received a file from Christchurch police. Ms Koster had given a statement to a Christchurch detective. Mr Wright-St Clair would not provide any information on the case or the police officer accused by Ms Koster while the investigation was under way. He would not confirm if the police officer accused was still in the force. Ms Koster was working at a Mount Maunganui massage parlour, Chances R, in 1987 when the alleged incident took place. She had been visiting Rotorua. She said after the rape, nothing was said between the pair and she left. She had not talked to the police officer since. "Back then I didn't take note of a policeman's name or anything like that." Ms Koster had been reluctant to complain for several reasons. She had worked as a prostitute, used drugs and had convictions for drug offences and doubted anyone would believe her, especially given it was a police officer she was accusing. She could not recall all of the details about the night she claimed she was raped and she also feared retribution from police. "The Rotorua police was like a gang. Just the way they acted. It was quite scary." Ms Koster wanted to see the man she accused punished.