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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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One of four men accused
of gang rape at Mt Maunganui 16 years ago told police the woman involved had
cuddled up and did not seem distressed after the alleged incident The accused, now aged
40, was interviewed by Detective Sergeant Maxwell Taylor after the woman
lodged a complaint with police in May last year. The accused told police
he had arrived at an empty building after a colleague, who was also before
the court, told him a woman had agreed to have sex with four people there. When he arrived the
three other accused men were waiting outside the building. Inside he found
the woman naked, but told police she did not seem distressed. Mr Taylor told the High
Court at Wellington yesterday that the accused had said "nothing gave me
the impression she had been abused". "There was no
concern on my part she did not want to have sex. She seemed to enjoy
it," the accused told police. After sex the couple
dressed together while chatting. Mr Taylor said the
accused told him that as he drove the woman back to work she had her hand
around his waist and was sitting close to him. "This gave me the
impression she was happy to be with me." The woman alleges she
was raped by five men in January 1989 after she was lured to an empty
building, on the promise of a lunch date with one of the accused she had a
crush on. A fifth man has never been identified. The men, who are also charged
with abduction, admit having sex with the woman but say it was consensual. Extensive suppression
orders prevent the identity of the men or their occupation being disclosed. Detective Sergeant John
Price told the court he had interviewed another of the accused, now aged 47.
In a brief statement the accused denied raping the woman. |
