Otago Daily Times
February 17, 2004

Judge and public servant named to head rape inquiry
by Ian Llewellyn, of NZPA

Wellington: A High Court judge and a former senior public servant will conduct a Commission of Inquiry into historic allegations of rape by police.

Prime Minister Helen Clark announced yesterday that Justice Bruce Robertson and Dame Margaret Bazley would head the inquiry, which is expected to report back in November.

The independent inquiry was ordered following Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas' allegation she was pack-raped in the 1980s by police officers Clint Rickards, Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton.

Mr Rickards, now an assistant commissioner in charge of Auckland police, has been stood down. The other two are no longer in the force.

All three men have strongly denied the allegations.

Since then, other women have come forward and said they were victims of sex attacks and expressed unhappiness about how the police investigated their complaints.

In the latest development, Waikato district commander Kelvin Powell was stood down at the weekend. A statement from the Office of Police Commissioner Rob Robinson said Mr Powell was "an individual of interest to their investigation" into the rape allegations.

Mr Powell has refused to comment.

Ms Clark said she expected the inquiry to be heard in public but the terms of reference, staffing and budget details were still subject to final drafting.

The commission would inquire into police conduct and procedure when dealing with sexual assault allegations made against the police.

"It will also look into police standards and codes in relation to police personal behaviour, including sexual conduct," Ms Clark said.

The commission would not be able to review the Police Complaints Authority's investigation of complaints because of secrecy laws, but it would be able to look at the police work that formed the basis of the authority's report.

Ms Clark defended the length of time for the report, saying it was best done properly to ensure the public could have confidence in the police.

Justice Robertson presided over the second trial of David Dougherty, which cleared him of the rape of an 11-year-old girl, for which he had been wrongly convicted.

Dame Margaret had a long public service career, including stints as social development ministry chief executive and transport secretary.