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Allegations of abuse
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peterellis homepage / police allegations / Louise
Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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The final chapter in the police
sex scandal is being aired before a High Court jury in Hamilton. John Dewar - the former head of
the Rotorua CIB - is accused of attempting to cover up claims by Louise
Nicholas that she was raped and sexually assaulted by several police
officers. Dewar was once the boss of
Rotorua's crime squad, responsible for putting accused people before the
courts. But on Tuesday it was his turn to
face a judge. The crime it is alleged he has
committed is trying to derail justice to protect his police colleagues. Dewar is adamant that he is not
guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice - not once but four
times. "The accused never took a
witness statement in relation to those three complaints. He actively sought
to discourage and prevent any active investigation," says Mark Zarifeh,
the crown prosecutor. Nicholas had made four complaints
of sexual abuse in the 1990s. The crown alleges Dewar knew and
was friendly with Clint Rickards, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum - even
engaging in group sex with Shipton and another woman. The jury has been told to
disregard anything they may have heard about past trials or have seen on
television. |
