|
|
Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
|
|
|
|
THE commission of inquiry
into police conduct is on hold -- possibly for years -- till an investigation
decides whether past and present officers should face criminal charges. The commission
announced yesterday it would not meet again till late October and had no
plans to begin hearing evidence till any possible court action had finished. The delay has come as a
body blow to two women whose allegations led to the commission of inquiry,
but they remain confident that justice will eventually be done. In a ruling issued yesterday,
commissioners Justice Bruce Robertson and Dame Margaret Bazley said there was
a "very real risk" that police investigations into rape claims by
Rotorua woman Louise Nicholas and Kaitaia woman Judith Garrett could be
contaminated by the commission proceeding. Ms Nicholas said
yesterday frustration had crept in as the police investigation dragged on,
but she was adamant that it be done right. "If it means that the
commission has to take a break and sit back and wait, well hey, it's going to
have to happen." Her heart went out to
the other women who had come forward, and she urged them to "hang in
there". Ms Garrett agreed the
delay was yet another frustration in her pursuit for justice. She was
satisfied with the police investigation so far into her rape claims, but
urged police not to drag the chain with their inquiries. The commission was
established after Ms Nicholas alleged in The Dominion Post in January that
she was pack-raped and violated with a police baton by three police officers
in 1986 when she was 18. She named Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards and
two former officers as the men who raped her. The trio have denied
the allegations and say the sex was consensual. Mr Rickards was stood down
as the Auckland police commander in February. Police headquarters confirmed
yesterday that he remains on full pay. The allegations were
followed by details of Ms Garrett's alleged rape by a policeman in 1988 being
sent to Prime Minister Helen Clark. Yesterday's ruling by
Justice Robertson and Dame Margaret included details of previously
confidential meetings by the commission, which show that it became apparent
soon after it was established in February that a police investigation could
take some time and that issues of conflict would probably arise if both were
run together. In a private meeting
with Police Commissioner Rob Robinson on May 10, it was decided the
commission's work would be conducted so as not to impede or contaminate the
police inquiry. This meant at least eight cases that had been brought to the
attention of the commission could not be investigated. Police spokesman Jon
Neilson said yesterday that he was unsure of when the criminal investigation
would be completed. In July, police investigating
Ms Nicholas' alleged rape arrested four men in connection with a separate
rape complaint, referring to Mt Maunganui at New Year in 1989. In yesterday's ruling,
Justice Robertson referred to a fifth man, a former police officer, who was
arrested on eight rape and sex offence charges this month, all relating to
one woman, more than a decade ago. The man, whose details are suppressed,
appeared in Whangarei District Court this month and was bailed till October. |
