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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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1985 to 1986: Mrs
Nicholas is allegedly raped and violated with a police baton by police
officers Clint Rickards, Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton in Rotorua. 1993: She is referred
to Rotorua police after confiding in police officer Ray Sutton – a family
friend – Mrs Nicholas about the incident and separate incidents in Murupara
during her early teens involving police officers Kelvin Powell, Trevor
Clayton, Warren Smith and one other. 1993: As a result of an
investigation, a policeman is charged with raping and indecently assaulting
Mrs Nicholas in Murupara when she was 14 but is later acquitted after three
trials. His name is permanently suppressed. Mr Rickards, Mr Schollum and Mr
Shipton, upon being called to give evidence for the Crown, admit later sexual
relations with Mrs Nicholas, but say it was consensual. Mrs Nicholas is
referred to sexual abuse counselling. 1995: Detective Rex
Miller heads a Police Complaints Authority inquiry into the handling of Mrs
Nicholas' rape complaints following issues raised by a judge in the earlier
trials. Miller finds there was a gross lack of judgment but no criminal
offending. 2000: Prime Minister
Helen Clark turns down Rickards' application for deputy police commissioner,
a statutory position, after hearing of anonymous letters sent to police
alleging that he was a sexual abuser. November 2003:
Following a two-year investigation, Dominion Post reporter Philip Kitchin
approaches Mrs Nicholas with documents which convinced her she had been led
astray during the investigation of her claims. She agrees to help him tell
her story. January 30, 2004: In a
response to questions from The Dominion Post, police commissioner Rob
Robinson says in a statement that police will study any "published
material" and thoroughly look at any matters that call police's
integrity into question. January 31, 2004: The
news breaks. The Dominion Post reveals Mrs Nicholas' story exclusively under
the headline "Police raped me". February 1, 2004: The
reaction by police is swift. Rickards stands down temporarily as assistant
police commissioner and Auckland District Commander. February 3, 2004: Prime
Minister Helen Clark announces a commission of inquiry, the most powerful instrument
available to government, to investigate police misconduct after details of a
second case of alleged police rape, this time of a Kaitaia woman, are sent to
her. "Believe me, what was sent to me . . . my hair stood on end,"
she said. The same day, police commissioner Rob Robinson reopens a criminal
investigation into Mrs Nicholas' allegations. Rickards stands down from duty
while the investigation takes place. February 5, 2004:
Southern District commander Superintendent Nick Perry is appointed to head
Operation Austin, the criminal investigation into Mrs Nicholas' allegations. February 14, 2004:
Kelvin Powell, who is now Waikato district commander, is identified as
"a person of interest" by officers and is stood down. He is later
arrested and tried for raping a former colleague, but is found not guilty and
reinstated to his job. February 16, 2004:
Justice Bruce Robertson and Dame Margaret Bazley are named to head the
commission of inquiry. March 3, 2004:
Suppression orders on the court documents from the 1994 rape trials are
lifted, revealing Judge Michael Lance made a stinging rebuke of an
investigating officer. March 22, 2004: The
commission of inquiry meets for the first time and immediately encounters
problems. The Police Complaints Authority warns it cannot provide some vital
information due to legal secrecy provisions. Police similarly warn files
cannot be disclosed till their own investigations finish. August 2004: A former
police officer is arrested on eight rape and sex offence charges relating the
kataia case. August 27, 2004: The
commission of inquiry is put on hold indefinitely for fear of contaminating
police criminal investigations. It is to remain on hold till police
investigations and subsequent legal proceedings are completed. January 14, 2005: The
Dominion Post reveals police are on the brink of deciding whether to lay
charges against the three accused of raping Mrs Nicholas. March 16, 2005: Police
arrest Rickards in Auckland and Schollum and Shipton in Tauranga after a
13-month investigation involving 43,500 police man-hours costing at least
$1.6 million. The charges relate to Mrs Nicholas, but the details are
suppressed. July 25, 2005: A
depositions hearing starts in Rotorua. Suppression orders concealing the
number and nature of the charges are lifted, revealing a collective 20
charges of rape, indecent assault and sexual violation. Mrs Nicholas' 32-page
statement of evidence is read to the court. District Court Judge Chris
McGuire commits the three men to a High Court trial. September 1, 2005: The
case is shifted from Rotorua to Auckland. Justice John Priestly suppresses
the reasons for his decision, and lawyers' submissions. October 27, 2005:
Further suppression orders are placed on the case, after concerns by both
prosecution and defence that further publicity could affect a fair trial. March 13, 2006: The
trial begins at Auckland High Court. Rickards causes a stir by turning up in
police uniform, against police regulations for suspended staff. The three
plead not guilty to all charges. March 31, 2006: After a
trial of nearly three weeks the jury, of seven women and five men, take 27
hours to find the men not guilty on all 20 charges. |
