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Allegations of abuse
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peterellis
Home / police allegations / Rickards,
Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 4 - Initial Reaction to
Not Guilty Verdict |
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The woman who first made
allegations of rape against assistant police commissioner Clint Rickards and
two former policemen fears their latest acquittals could discourage other
women from coming forward. Louise Nicholas said she was
"absolutely gutted" by yesterday's not guilty verdicts, the same
outcome as in her own rape complaint trial against Mr Rickards, Bob Schollum
and Brad Shipton last year. "I just hope and pray that
these acquittals don't put other women off from coming forward. I'm praying
it won't. They need to find the strength to go through this, ... to go
through all this hell and come out of it a better person." Mrs Nicholas was in court to hear
yesterday's verdicts. She said the complainant, who she did not know, would
be feeling emotional. "But from what I know about
her, she's a strong woman and she won't let this beat her." Mrs Nicholas, who is expecting her
fourth child, would not comment on whether the two juries might have reached
different verdicts had they known both Schollum and Shipton were serving
current prison sentences for rape. Asked what she thought of |
