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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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A jury has been empanelled
in the trial of four men accused of an historic pack rape. The charges of
abduction, rape and unlawful sexual connection relate to events in Mount
Maunganui in January 1989. The High Court trial
has been moved from Rotorua to Wellington and is likely to take two to three
weeks. A jury of eight women
and four men has been sworn in. Strict suppression
orders surround proceedings. The identities of the
men are suppressed as are their past and present occupations, many aspects of
the alleged offences, and the identities and evidence of some witnesses. The Court has been told
the five men arranged to meet at a secluded Mount Maunganui location in
January 1989 to rape a woman. Crown prosecutor Brent
Stanaway says one of the accused told the woman he would take her to meet
another of the accused for a lunch date, but when she arrived three other men
were there and all of them assaulted her. Mr Stanaway describes
the evidence of one of the accused as an extensive, transparent series of
lies. He says the accused
wants the court to believe the complainant had sex with five men whom she
barely knew. Four of the men are on
trial charged with abduction, rape and sexual violation. |
