Sunday Star Times
February 22, 2004
Family ties in botched police rape inquiries
by Rachel Grunwell
Allegations against cop's cousin were ignored
`Because the rapist enjoyed a "good relationship"
with officers, police refused to believe he was capable of any wrong-doing.'
Former policeman Bob Schollum, one of three men facing pack-rape allegations in
the Louise Nicholas case, is the cousin of a rapist at the centre of two
botched police rape investigations.
Schollum worked as an officer at Murupara around the
time staff ignored two rape complaints involving his cousin. One case was later
investigated by different staff and the man was jailed.
But Schollum said yesterday he knew "absolutely nothing" of both
cases and was mystified about why a police report said he was interviewed in
relation to the cases.
Asked whether the fact his cousin was the accused may have led police to ignore
the complaints, Schollum said he did not know if staff
knew they were related.
In both cases, it was later recommended by former detective inspector Graham
Bell that police commissioner Rob Robinson apologise
for police inaction. But only one victim has so far received a formal apology.
Name suppression was this month lifted for one of these victims, Rhondda
Herbert-Savage, to whom Robinson apologised in 2000. Herbert-Savage was twice
raped as a teenager in Murupara in the 1980s.
The same man who raped Herbert-Savage also sexually offended against three
girls and police failed to properly act on this complaint.
In a report written in 1996,
Schollum said yesterday he no longer had contact with his cousin.
Herbert-Savage fought for her apology and wants compensation, but the mother of
the three girls was unaware police had also recommended an apology for her
case.
Bell said in the report there was no doubt in his mind the mother reported the
sexual abuse of her daughters to then-sergeant Warren Smith in Murupara immediately after she found one of her children in
bed with the offender.
"I have no doubt that sergeant Smith went to the house and took (the
offender) away as described by (the mother) but that from there, no further
action was taken. No explanation for this dereliction of duty is given by the
sergeant as he claims to have no recollection of the events," said
It was after the girls again complained and the man was jailed that
Herbert-Savage's mishandled complaint came to light. The man was tried for her
rape but was acquitted. However,
A government-ordered commission of inquiry into police behaviour follows Louise
Nicholas' allegations Schollum, now a Napier car salesman, Tauranga city
councillor Brad Shipton and police assistant commissioner Clint Rickards,
pack-raped her as a teenager in Rotorua in the 1980s. All three men deny this
and say the sex was consensual.