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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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Since 1995 the woman,
who has name suppression, has made a series of statements to police about Mrs
Nicholas' claims that Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards and former police
officers Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum raped her. The three face 20
charges including rape, indecent assault and sexual violation dating between
1985 and 1986. The woman was quoted in
a 1995 statement to Detective Inspector Rex Miller as saying both she and Mrs
Nicholas had sex with the men and Mrs Nicholas "certainly wasn't saying
no". In a 2004 statement
read to Justice Tony Randerson and the jury yesterday, she said she was not
happy about how her words had been taken down. All she could say was that Mrs
Nicholas was not "kicking and screaming". In her first statement
she admitted nothing - saying she did not even know the men, although the
name Rickards was familiar. In her second statement she said she knew them.
Both she and Mrs Nicholas had sex with them but she had hoped that by saying
nothing it would go away because she was "embarrassed" about her
past. In the third statement,
taken in 2004, she said she did not know why Mr Miller had worded things the
way he had. "I can see all
they came round for was sex," her statement read. "I have a memory
of not wanting to be part of it. It could have been because I was getting the
creeps from Brad. Brad was quite big back then. "I have this
recollection of them arriving and I went into my room and closed my
door," she said. On another occasion she
remembered Shipton trying to "smooth-talk" her into having sex. She
did not say no but he had smooth-talked her. She said all she could
say was Mrs Nicholas was not "kicking and screaming" the time she
did see her having sex with one of the men. But she also said at that time in
her life - she was 17 - she would not have been that perceptive. She said Mr Miller had
taken her words and made it sound like on one occasion she was lying beside
Mrs Nicholas having sex with one of the men. "That didn't
happen like that and I don't know why Rex Miller worded it like that." The woman did not
remember Rickards being at the flat, but said she was not involved with him. "I don't recall ever
having sex with Clint Rickards. The problem is I could have and just don't
want to remember it. "I also don't know
if they were coming around to have sex with Louise when I wasn't there."
Mrs Nicholas was not in
court yesterday but members of her family gave evidence. Statements made by the
accused in 1995 are expected to be given today. |
