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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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A depositions hearing
into allegations of pack rape by one of New Zealand's highest ranking police
officers and two former policemen began in Rotorua District Court today. Assistant Commissioner
Clinton John Tukotahi Rickards, 44, Bradley Keith Shipton, 47, and Robert
Francis Schollum, 53, are facing charges of rape, indecent assault and sexual
violation. Rotorua woman Louise
Nicholas alleges that in 1986 at the age of 18 she had sex against her will
with Shipton and Rickards between six and 12 times at her house in Corlett
St. She also alleges that
on another occasion, Schollum offered her a ride home but drove her to
another address in Rutland St where she was pack-raped by all three accused. All three men have
strenuously denied the allegations. There are extensive
suppression orders around the case but in opening today's hearing, Judge
Chris McGuire relaxed earlier restrictions on reporting any details of Mrs
Nicholas' allegations. Family members of the
accused shook their heads and rolled their eyes as crown prosecutor Mark
Zarifeh outlined the police case. The hearing is set down
for two weeks but may be completed earlier as the Crown will call only five
witnesses to give evidence in person with the remaining 44, including Mrs
Nicholas, providing written statements. Mrs Nicholas'
mother-in-law, Phyllis Nicholas, was the Crown's first witness. She told the court that
Louise, who had only been dating her son a few months, had contacted her
after taking several days off her job at the Bank of New Zealand because she
was ill. Mrs Phyllis Nicholas
went to collect her and saw a marked police car leaving the address. "She was very ill,
doubled up in pain. I wanted to take her straight off to emergency but she
wouldn't let me. "I took her home
and I was going to ring my own doctor and get him to call in on the way to
surgery." Mrs Phyllis Nicholas
said her relation with Louise Nicholas was only recent then and she had not
asked her what was wrong. |
