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Allegations of abuse
by NZ Police |
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peterellis homepage / police allegations / Louise
Nicholas vs John Dewar |
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Louise Nicholas is due to resume
giving evidence this morning against the police officer who first heard her
allegations of sexual assault. John Dewar was head of the Rotorua
CIB in the early 90s when Ms Nicholas first approached police. He is
defending four charges of perverting the course of justice and further
charges of twice willfully giving false evidence causing mistrials. Ms Nicholas is expected to tell
the High Court in Hamilton more about Dewar's conduct when she tried to lay a
complaint about allegations of sexual misconduct by officers Clint Rickards,
Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton. She spent much of yesterday talking about her
interaction with Dewar during the three trials of a former officer who has
since been acquitted of molesting Ms Nicholas. Prosecutors told the court that
Dewar had been involved in investigating two separate complaints made by Ms
Nicholas in 1993 when she claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a police
officer in the early 1980s and again in the mid-80s by Rickards, Shipton and
Schollum. Crown prosecutor Mark Zarifeh argued that Dewar took steps to
prevent the three men being prosecuted by hastening a prosecution in the
first case. The officer, who has permanent name suppression, stood trial
three times and was finally acquitted. Ms Nicholas is the Crown's main
witness and her testimony is expected to take most of the day. Her mother
will also take the stand and is expected to give her version of her
daughter's experiences with Dewar. Evidence from 31 witnesses will be
presented to the jury, in the form of written and video submissions and
in-person testimony. |
