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Allegations of abuse
by NZ Police |
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peterellis
Home / police allegations / Rickards,
Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 6 - Further Reaction to
Not Guilty Verdict |
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Despite the acquittal of Mr
Rickards and former policemen Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum on kidnap and
indecent assault charges, Mr Hubbard says the standard of behaviour shown by
Mr Rickards is unacceptable. "It's all about public
confidence. It's hugely important that the public have confidence in the
police and as far as I'm concerned the standards of behaviour of those people
associated with the police have to be above those minimum standards required
by law, and clearly Clint Rickards' behaviour wasn't. "I am responsible for having
a city where the citizens perceive that they are safe. As part of that, we've
got to have confidence in the police and I believe that we cannot have
confidence if Mr Rickards goes back in." Mr Hubbard says although the
allegations related to when Mr Rickards was a younger man, he believes patterns
of behaviour were established and it is not known whether they have carried
on since. Mr Hubbard is also concerned about
Mr Rickards' stated support of Schollum and Shipton, who were serving prison
sentences for the rape of a woman in Mt Maunganui in the late 1980s. He says
that support means Police National Headquarters say
there are employment issues to resolve before any decision can be made on Mr
Rickards' future. Mr Rickards will be making no
comment on Dick Hubbard's statement. His lawyer John Haigh QC says Mr
Rickards is not prepared to talk to anyone at the moment as he awaits a
police commission decision on whether he can return to work. |
