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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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A jury of seven women
and five men began day two of deliberations today to decide if a high ranking
police officer and two former colleagues were rapists and sexual abusers. Assistant police
commissioner Clint Rickards, 45, and former policemen Brad Shipton, 47, and
Bob Schollum, 53, have denied a total of 20 charges of rape, sexual violation
and indecent assault against Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas. She told the High Court
in Auckland the trio regularly raped and sexually abused her in 1985 and 1986
in Rotorua when she was 18. Yesterday after
listening to three hours of summing up by Justice Tony Randerson and
deliberating for nine hours the jury retired to a hotel at 10pm. They were back in the
jury room at 9am today. Yesterday a karakia
rang out from the Auckland courthouse and it was standing room only inside as
jurors began their deliberations. Relatives of Rickards
performed the prayer, and a strong family turnout supported co-accused
Schollum and Shipton. Supporters of the three
accused sang How Great Thou Art, some in Maori. A kaumatua led a prayer for
the jury of seven women and five men to have wisdom and strength and for all
those involved in the trial to find peace. |
