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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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Louise Nicholas has
described the terror and helplessness she felt when allegedly pack-raped
repeatedly by three policemen, who were yesterday committed to stand trial
over the historical sex charges. Mrs Nicholas was not at
Rotorua District Court to hear her 32-page written statement read to a
depositions hearing, which outlined how she felt powerless to refuse three
large men with the weight of the law behind them. The men -- Assistant
Police Commissioner Clint Rickards, 44, and former policemen Brad Shipton,
46, and Bob Schollum, 53 -- were committed to stand trial on charges of
raping and sexually and indecently assaulting Mrs Nicholas. Rickards, groomed as a
future police commissioner, and Shipton face eight charges, while Schollum
faces four. The charges stem from a
criminal investigation which was sparked by pack-rape claims Mrs Nicholas
made against the trio in The Dominion Post last year. Mrs Nicholas' statement
said she had known Schollum from when she lived as a child in Murupara and he
was stationed there -- "I used to babysit his children" -- and she
thought she could trust him. She outlined how
Rickards and Shipton came to her home between six and 12 times from September
1985 to December 1986. "Whenever they
visited I would feel numb," her statement said. "I would ask them
nicely not to do these things to me. I was pathetically polite. I was like a
little girl hoping they would stop. I never gave consent . . . they just took
me for granted. "I went along with
what they wanted because they were policemen. I felt I had no way of stopping
them and there was nothing I could do . . . the fact that they were policemen
scared the living daylights out of me . . ." Lawyers for the three
accused said they would defend the charges. Shipton, Schollum, Rickards and
about 15 family and friends in the public gallery showed no emotion as Judge
Chris McGuire ruled there was a case to answer. A trial date will be set on
September 1. Before the judge's
decision, Rickards' lawyer, John Haigh, QC, had attacked the police
investigation -- and Mrs Nicholas -- in an outburst to the court. He slammed the police
investigation into his client and said it "lacked any objectivity
whatsoever". "It was an investigation in name only. I have to say
also it has been propped up by the extremely public clamouring of Mrs
Nicholas who has appeared on TV and in print time after time attacking
[Rickards]. This case is built on straw." Rickards, who had been
suspended on full pay, could only watch his "integrity and
reputation" slide away, Mr Haigh said. He also attacked the 13
months and $3 million spent on the investigation "when most New
Zealanders struggled to catch a glimpse of a police officer when reporting a
burglary". A date for the trial
will be set in Rotorua High Court on September 1. Schollum's lawyer, Paul
Mabey, QC, said he would be applying for a change of venue and would also
raise the issue of whether it was possible for his client to receive a fair
trial. ---------------
CAPTION:
Louise
Nicholas: Her 32-page written statement was read out to the depositions
hearing. She did not appear in court. Photo
by Kent Blechynden |
