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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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Assistant police commissioner
Clint Rickards and two former officers have appeared in court in relation to
allegations made by Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas. Rickards has been
charged following a 12 month investigation by police in Wellington and
Rotorua. Rickards, who has been
on suspension, on full pay, for the past 14 months entered no plea in
relation to the allegations. His appearance comes
after Nicholas last year sparked both a commission of inquiry and an
extensive police investigation into allegations of historic sexual offences. Two former policemen,
former Tauranga city councillor Brad Shipton and Napier car dealer Bob
Schollum, appeared in court in Tauranga on related charges. However, all
details of the charges, including their number and nature, were suppressed
for all three men. Schollum's lawyer says
he will strongly defend the charges. "Mr Schollum denies the Nicolas
allegations. He denied them in the '90s and my concern is whether he can get
a fair trial anywhere in New Zealand or whether there should be a trial,"
says Paul Mabey QC. Meanwhile, a
government-ordered commission of inquiry into historic allegations of police
conduct remains on hold. Its future will be reviewed in May and is not
expected to resume until current charges have gone through the complete court
process. They were freed on bail
pending a pre-trial hearing in Rotorua in April. |
