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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse in NZ |
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A Tauranga policeman
has been acquitted of sexual violation following a seven-day jury trial. Senior Constable
Fredrick John Follas, aged 44, was found not guilty yesterday afternoon of
having inappropriately touched a female prisoner with a bar of soap and then
his fingers in the shower block at Tauranga police station. The allegation arose at
the same time Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas went public with her accusation
that she was raped by three policeman back in 1986. It took the jury just
70 minutes to decide Follas was innocent. Summing-up, Crown
prosecutor Jonathan Temm told the jury to find Follas guilty because he had
time on the morning of February 5 last year to commit the offence. Follas also built up a
strong enough relationship with the woman that week in the cell block that he
was willing to risk she would not make a complaint. The jury was asked not
to be influenced by the woman's lifestyle and criminal history. However the defence
asked the jury to be realistic about the circumstances the alleged offence
took place in. She reminded them of
how busy Follas was that morning looking after eight male prisoners as well
as the 22-year-old woman prisoner, whose name was suppressed. "When on earth is
he supposed to have managed to fit a sexual violation in?" After the verdict,
Justice Colin Nicholson told Follas he was free to go. "You have been
through an ordeal. It's over now," he said. |
