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Allegations
of Sexual Abuse |
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Two men accused of a pack
rape 16 years ago have broken down defending themselves against a woman's
claims. The trial at the High
Court in Wellington was adjourned briefly yesterday while a 47-year-old
accused composed himself. "This whole thing
has devastated my life and everyone around me," he said, crying. He said the woman
involved had agreed to every sex act he and a friend had with her in Mt
Maunganui in January 1989. She was lying about not
consenting, having her hands bound and being violated with an object. "I have sat here
day in and day out. It makes me sick," he said. "Does it disgust
me? Yes, it does disgust me, but there was no rape, there was no force
whatsoever." He and three other men,
aged 40, 46, and 53, are charged with detaining a woman without her consent
with intent to have sexual intercourse with her, and raping her. He faces an extra rape
charge, and he and his friend each face two extra charges of sexual violation
by unlawful sexual connection. Each man pleaded not
guilty. Their names have been suppressed. The woman said she had
arranged through a go-between to have lunch with one of the accused but
instead she was taken to a building and raped by five men. She said the last one
was nervous and seemed reluctant. The man she was speaking about, now 40,
said a workmate had arranged for the men to have sex. He said he had been
nervous and embarrassed when he had arrived at the building where the
incident happened. Three men were outside and one said to him, "in you
go", but the woman had not been expecting him. He said she was not angry or distressed. "If anything, she was the one who seemed to be in control." He then broke down and the court adjourned briefly |
