Allegations of Abuse by NZ Police
	peterellis Home / police allegations / Rickards, Shipton, Schollum vs Jane Doe Page 7 - Further Reaction to Not Guilty Verdict
	The Timaru Herald March 9 2007 Women officers front protesters Police sent women officers to guard their Wellington Central station when more than 200 angry people protested outside in frustration over not guilty verdicts in recent police sex trials. The station doors were guarded by a thin blue line of eight police, seven of them women, prompting cries of "where are all the male cops?" The protest was largely peaceful, though tension swelled when protester, Vanessa Cameron-Lewis, screamed as it appeared she was being denied entry to the station. The crowd chanted shame. She had told the crowd she was going to deliver a written statement detailing historic incidents of rape and sexual assault against her. Wellington area commander Inspector Peter Cowan said he took the statement from Ms Cameron-Lewis, and had quietly offered her the chance to go inside and speak, "but she was just too worked up by then". Mr Cowan appealed to Ms Cameron-Lewis to come forward and discuss her allegations in confidence. He said the use of female officers last night was a deliberate move "to show this is the face of policing in 2007". The protesters walked down Lambton Quay and staged a further protest outside the High Court building. Protest organiser Lenka Rochford said they were "stunned and outraged" at the acquittals of suspended assistant commissioner Clint Rickards and former policemen Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum in two historic sex offence trials. Shipton and Schollum are serving prison terms for the rape of a woman at Mt Maunganui in 1989. In Auckland 250 people also protested about the verdicts, many calling for Mr Rickards to be sacked.