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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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The evidence of a
secret witness has been suppressed at the trial of one of the country's top
policemen and two former policemen on rape and sexual abuse charges in the
High Court at Auckland today. Nothing identifying the
witness, or any evidence can be reported as the trial enters its sixth day. Assistant Commissioner
Clint Rickards, who is suspended on full pay, and former policemen Brad
Shipton and Robert Schollum, are on trial on 20 charges of raping and
sexually abusing Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas more than 20 years ago. The crown's fourteenth
witness gave evidence today before a jury of seven woman and five men. Mrs Nicholas claims the
three accused raped her and indecently assaulted her with a baton in a police
house in Rutland Street, Rotorua, in January 1986. Mrs Nicholas also
alleges Rickards and Shipton visited her at her flat between six and 12 times
from September, 1985, to December 1986, for sexual intercourse and oral sex
without her consent. Mrs Nicholas said she
told the accused she did not want them there but was intimidated by their big
size and stature. All three have denied
the charges and said the sex they had with Mrs Nicholas was with her consent.
They also said the Rutland Street incident when the police baton was alleged
to have been used, did not happen. The trial was expected
to last for the rest of this week and next week. |
