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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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One by one they broke
down in tears – Clint Rickards was the last to succumb. The suspended assistant
police commissioner had stood stoically as the jury forewoman was asked 20
times for a verdict. Each time she replied: "Not guilty." Former policeman Bob
Schollum was the first to crack. As he began to cry, Brad Shipton put his arm
around his former colleague and then his tears began. Rickards, who was
Auckland's top policeman till his suspension two years and two months ago,
was the last to show any emotion. The three men were
acquitted on 20 charges brought about by Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas'
allegations that they raped and sexually assaulted her, including with a
police baton, 20 years ago. The jury of seven women
and five men deliberated for 27 hours over three days. The acquittal followed
a 10-day trial in the High Court at Auckland, which Justice Tony Randerson
said had heard evidence of an "unsavoury" nature. The judge had asked for
silence as the verdicts were delivered. As the three men walked from the dock
they hugged and back-slapped their lawyers. Mrs Nicholas, who had
come to the court to hear the outcome in person, left the courthouse with her
husband, Ross, and declined to comment. She had given evidence that the three
men used their position as policemen to make her have group sex against her
will. As Rickards left the
courthouse with his arm wrapped around wife Tania Eden, he said "the
right result prevailed". "It's been
torturous. It's been torture for the last 2-1/2 years. This has been the
worst nightmare you could ever imagine. "It's been very
traumatic for my wife and for my whanau as well. The one thing that has
pulled me through has been my whanau." A decision on whether
Rickards can resume his job has yet to be made. On the issue of his future,
he said: "All I can say is there's some aspects of this police inquiry
that have left me very disappointed, very disappointed, and I will take
appropriate action with my lawyer at a later date." Deputy Police
Commissioner Lyn Provost said job discussions could not be rushed.
"There are many factors involved both from the point of view of the
employee and the employer and I am not going to speculate or prejudice those
matters by public commentary." The team who had
investigated Mrs Nicholas' allegations had done so to the highest standards
of professionalism, she said. Rickards' lawyer, John
Haigh, QC, said the prosecution should never have been brought. "There
are a few things I will say one day about the way it's been dealt with by the
police." Schollum's lawyer, Paul
Mabey, QC, said his client was "obviously relieved". "Louise Nicholas
has been making public allegations against Bob Schollum for years. He has
always denied them. They have been made in public and made widely by her, but
the only members of the public that count are the jury and this jury has
rejected those allegations." Justice Randerson
ordered that widespread suppression orders made at the start of the trial
would continue. The order prevents publication of evidence from five
witnesses at the trial. He said that
Internet bulletin boards and chat rooms might
need to be monitored. Schollum's wife, Caron,
said: "I'm elated. I just want to get home to my children. Bob will be
delighted." Shipton's wife, Sharon,
wept and said justice had been done. "We just want to be with our
husbands and families and celebrate what was the right outcome. "We've
never ever doubted, never ever doubted for one moment, that these men were
innocent." Ms Eden said: "We
are an ordinary Kiwi family that has suffered for 2-1/2 years. We want to get
back to watching our kids play rugby and netball and have a family life
again." |
