Otago Daily Times
February 13, 2004

Police inquiry
Letter to the Editor
by Suzanne George Dunedin

Caesar investigating Caesar? I think not. The rape allegations made by Louise Nicholas about unwanted sex by a police trio and witnessed by a fourth silent bystander, and the subsequent revelations of an alleged police cover-up are an indication that males are psychologically incapable of disciplining other males for sexual misconduct. The inquiry into this matter should be independent of the police themselves.

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson states he did not believe Deputy Commissioner Clint Rickards' admission of group sex with Mrs Nicholas should be taken into account in employment decisions. One in five former policewomen left over sexual harassment ( ODT , 22.7.96), nearly 100 police officers have been sacked in the past five years for offences such as rape, sexual violation, and indecent assault ( ODT , 16.4.03), and women in CIB were ignored and found their careers threatened if they complained about gender and sexual harassment ( ODT , 1.8.00). Greater public scrutiny of the whole legal system is required.