Allegations of abuse by NZ Police
	peterellis Home / police allegations / Rickards, Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 6 - Further Reaction to Not Guilty Verdict
	The Press March 6 2007 Letters to the Editor Demote him by Roger Reside, Sumner Clint Rickards, who brazenly admits to group sex, buddies with criminals and lampoons, surely merits a far lesser rank than assistant commissioner of police Justice a joke by L Richards, Westmorland The Rickards, Schollum and Shipton show highlights the inconsistencies of our justice system. Does it not seem unfair that defence counsel can inform the jury about a complainant's past, going into great details in the process, while the prosecution cannot do likewise about the accused? Does it not seem predictable that, now the verdict is out, the family of one of the accused has played the race card? That's not a justice system. That's a joke. Rickards unsuitable by Richard Hurst, Merivale Clint Rickards should not under any circumstances be allowed to return as assistant police commissioner. He has, along with his co-defendants, escaped being found guilty on sex charges. However, his deep and longstanding association with these two convicted rapists, who so utterly abused their positions of authority while they were in the police, is unacceptable. His public attack on the police officers who in the course of their sworn duty investigated him and his co-defendants, and ranting that seemed to smack of a desire for revenge upon them simply for doing their job, was even worse. Public trust and faith in the police, from the newest recruit on traffic duty to the highest police official in Wellington, is vital for the functioning of the police and society. Rickards' reappointment would undermine this precious trust. Lucky escape by Rick Cosgrove, Kaiapoi I totally agree with Clint Rickards that Operation Austin was a shambles. It got only one conviction out of three. I think Rickards is very lucky they did not do a better job. Reprehensible Rickards must not be reinstated by A F Tyson, Upper riccarton The fact that Schollum, Shipton, and Rickards were found not guilty of rape in two trials does not make their behaviour any less morally reprehensible. The age of consent is at 16 because teenagers have sex, not because it is expected that adult married men will have sex with young teenagers. They may have been found not guilty, but these men abused their power and continue to do so by calling these women liars. Rickards must not be reinstated. He admits having group sex with a teenage girl with other cops and has therefore proved his character and moral fibre is well short of what society must demand of police officers.