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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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Opening arguments are due
to be made today in the trial of one of the country's top police officers on
historical sex abuse charges. Suppression orders
surrounding the allegations against Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards and
two former police colleagues were lifted yesterday. Clint Rickards, Bob
Schollum and Brad Shipton face 20 charges of abusing Rotorua woman Louise
Nicholas, when she was still a teenager. These include six
counts of indecently assaulting her with a police baton. The allegations
relate to a period of five months in 1985 and 1986. Until yesterday the
media was not allowed to broadcast or print details of the charges. Ms Nicholas also claims
Rickard and Shipton had sex many times with her against her will in her own
home, and that they took her to another house where she was raped by all
three men. She says she did not
complain at the time because they were police officers, and she was afraid of
them. After lengthy arguments
Justice Randerson lifted most of the suppression orders, meaning Louise
Nicholas' evidence to the court can be fully reported. |
