Otago Daily Times
Saturday May 29 2004

Rape inquiry delay
NZPA

Wellington: The head of a commission of inquiry into police conduct confirmed yesterday there will be no evidential hearings next month.

The commission was established after Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas alleged in January she was packraped and violated with a police baton by three police officers in 1986, when she was 18.

The commission is to look at evidence relating to this and other similar cases and has indicated women will get a chance to tell their stories if they wish.

However, commission head Justice Robertson said yesterday evidential hearings planned for June would no longer go ahead.

"It will be necessary to allow sufficient time for people, whose acts or omissions are complained of, to have the opportunity to respond and to have their responses assessed for evidential value," he said in a statement.

"We repeat that we are convinced that the interests of justice and equity require that we should not embark on any public hearing with regard to any alleged incident unless we can hear all versions and facets of it."

Funding problems for some of those wishing to appear before the commission were also a potential cause for delay, he said.

The commission had no budgetary allocation to assist with this.

However, Justice Robertson said he and fellow commissioner Dame Margaret Bazley would still try to meet their November 1 reporting deadline unless delays were "absolutely unavoidable".