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Allegations of abuse
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Home / police allegations / Rickards,
Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 4 - Initial Reaction to
Not Guilty Verdict |
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After three years on suspended pay
while fighting charges in two separate sex trials, Clint Rickards says he is keen
to resume his post as Assistant Police Commissioner. On Thursday, Rickards and former
policemen Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum were cleared of kidnapping and
indecent assault charges on a 16-year-old in Rotorua in the 1980s. "I'm looking forward to starting
back at work at the Auckland Central Police Station where I am the District
Commander and have been for three years," he said outside the Auckland
High Court. But three years into what is
thought to be a five year contract, could be where his career ends. Lawyer and former head of the
Police Association Rob Moodie suggests Rickards may find it hard to be
accepted by his colleagues again. He says despite the fact he has
been acquitted, there has been a portrayal of unsavoury conduct. "Even the conduct that has
not been sufficient to constitute criminal offending is in most people's
minds disturbing. Mr Rickards will have a very difficult time returning to
duty within the New Zealand Police. "The view of the Commissioner
will be, I am sure, that mature police having group sex with or without
consent would not be acceptable conduct." A former top police officer turned
private investigator Brian Rowe agrees, saying Rickards' life will be tainted
by accusations of sexual abuse. He says there will be some people who will
not accept the verdict and that is often the situation in high profile cases. Rickards may also have made it
difficult for himself after his harsh criticism of the officers who
investigated him. "He spoke in a pretty
spirited way about the investigating officers. It wasn't said with any
gentleness and I'm sure that'll be a worry for the Commissioner,"
employment lawyer Peter Cullen says. Outside the court, Rickards said
it was an investigation he would have been ashamed to lead. "It was a
shambles," he said. But an employment law specialist
suggests police will have to be thorough if they want Rickards dumped. Phillipa Muir of Simpson Grierson
says employers have a new test to justify dismissals and the police will have
to investigate trust and confidence issues. She says an employer has to
determine whether a fair and reasonable employer would dismiss Rickards, not
just whether the police believe they should. Other police officers who have
faced criminal charges and come clean have been reinstated into the force. In 2004 Superintendent Kelvin
Powell was accused of raping a female constable at a birthday party 21 years
before he was acquitted and returned to his role as The convictions of Alec Waugh, the
boss of Wanganui Police, were also quashed. He faced fraud charges over a
small amount of money and spent six years trying to clear his name. He was given a desk job in But neither case revealed extra
detail that had the potential to bring the police force into disrepute, like
Rickards' admission of group sex. Police National Headquarters will
only say his future will be dealt with through a confidential employment
process.
The criminal trials are now over
but the rape allegations are still subject to the scrutiny of police
watchdog, the Police Complaints Authority. While its findings are expected to
be months away the PCA is now resuming its investigations which had been
limited while criminal cases were outstanding. PCA head Justice Goddard says the
inquiry is being treated as a priority and they are getting on with it as
swiftly as they can. She is mindful it is a matter of
high interest to the public, individuals concerned, and to police. Goddard says the issues are
serious and need to be given serious consideration so the investigation needs
to be very thorough. |
