Christchurch Support For Louise Nicholas

just a quick few things about the protest today-people want to know. Quite a few people had heard an interview on the radio in the morning and came down to the square just to get the leaflet. Also lots of people taking it said they planned to copy it and send it around there work. Interestingly at the police station two cops came out (I thought to hassle us), but turned out one was the top cop in canterbury and she said she supported the protest and wouldn't let them get away with that sort of thing in "her city", but the TV3 reportor couldn't get her to say that on camera. But at the same time a plain clothes cop was photographing all of us, hmmm.

anyway, much love and respect to the welly women who made the first brave step to put the truth out there.

Under the current "justice" system what was done was considered "fair" and "just". As far as I know once someone has been tried for an offence in a criminal court and have been found not guilty they cannot be tried again for that same offence in criminal court but they could in a civil, but I don't know if they would be convicted? I very much doubt the decision can be appealed because of the way the system works.And I don't think it would be fair on Louise to put her through what she has gone through again.

The best form of action is going to be discontent from the public by making as many people aware of what has happened as possible. These scumbags have not been punished by the law but that doesn't stop the public and people from punishing them for every day left on this planet for what they did. Name and Shame!

Lets not also forget this is the same justice system which allows rapists who defend themselves in court to cross examine the victims, giving the power over to the rapist again.

dan rae - funny since that's pretty much what happened here in wgtn. same cop tactics. they tell us they're on our side while at the same time their fellow undercover mates snap photos of us (and hassle maori kids with skateboards at the same time).
... - yeah i'm riding the anti-cop bandwagon and pretty soon we're gonna run outta seats and spill out onto the streets! Fuck the cops and fuck the phoney judicial system! (Actually no, get rid of them instead).

any more room on that bandwaggon, I have a waiting list.

Because they and their mates break and are above the law they are supposed to protect and fuck up the lives of those they are supposed to protect. I have friends who are cops, many of whom are great guys and gals who I respect. Do I respect the Police as an organisation? Fuck off.

http://www.peterellis.org.nz/people/ClintRickards/2004-0222_SST_FamilyTi...

Sunday Star Times
February 22, 2004

Family ties in botched police rape inquiries
by Rachel Grunwell

Allegations against cop's cousin were ignored
`Because the rapist enjoyed a "good relationship" with officers, police refused to believe he was capable of any wrong-doing.'

Former policeman Bob Schollum, one of three men facing pack-rape allegations in the Louise Nicholas case, is the cousin of a rapist at the centre of two botched police rape investigations.

Schollum worked as an officer at Murupara around the time staff ignored two rape complaints involving his cousin. One case was later investigated by different staff and the man was jailed.

But Schollum said yesterday he knew "absolutely nothing" of both cases and was mystified about why a police report said he was interviewed in relation to the cases.

Asked whether the fact his cousin was the accused may have led police to ignore the complaints, Schollum said he did not know if staff knew they were related.

In both cases, it was later recommended by former detective inspector Graham Bell that police commissioner Rob Robinson apologise for police inaction. But only one victim has so far received a formal apology.

Name suppression was this month lifted for one of these victims, Rhondda Herbert-Savage, to whom Robinson apologised in 2000. Herbert-Savage was twice raped as a teenager in Murupara in the 1980s.

The same man who raped Herbert-Savage also sexually offended against three girls and police failed to properly act on this complaint.

In a report written in 1996, Bell said policing in Murupara at the time was superficial and that because the rapist enjoyed a "good relationship" with officers, police refused to believe he was capable of any wrongdoing so did not record the complaints or investigate.

Schollum said yesterday he no longer had contact with his cousin.

Bell's report said the three girls' case "did not receive the police attention it deserved" and Herbert-Savage's case was "grossly inadequate".

Herbert-Savage fought for her apology and wants compensation, but the mother of the three girls was unaware police had also recommended an apology for her case.

Bell said in the report there was no doubt in his mind the mother reported the sexual abuse of her daughters to then-sergeant Warren Smith in Murupara immediately after she found one of her children in bed with the offender.

"I have no doubt that sergeant Smith went to the house and took (the offender) away as described by (the mother) but that from there, no further action was taken. No explanation for this dereliction of duty is given by the sergeant as he claims to have no recollection of the events," said Bell. All officers at the station knew about the complaints but did nothing, he said.

It was after the girls again complained and the man was jailed that Herbert-Savage's mishandled complaint came to light. The man was tried for her rape but was acquitted. However, Bell said he had no doubt the man was guilty but the case was hindered because of the delay to court and lost medical evidence.

A government-ordered commission of inquiry into police behaviour follows Louise Nicholas' allegations Schollum, now a Napier car salesman, Tauranga city councillor Brad Shipton and police assistant commissioner Clint Rickards, pack-raped her as a teenager in Rotorua in the 1980s. All three men deny this and say the sex was consensual.

I took photos at the Chch solidarity action, but my camera has decided to have issues and I can't transfer them onto a computer. I will Try to get them up ASAP.

Here's a bit of a report (expanding on danrae's comments) -

We started the day at 10am, in Cathedral Square. We had 1 BIG banner saying "Louise Nicholas - We Believe You" and another banner saying "Justice 4 Rape Survivors". A bunch of people handed out flyers - we had 2 different flyers, one containing the suppressed information and one without it (which I will post at the bottom of this report). As danrae said, people had come to the Square just to get the flyers, and the response was almost entirely positive and supportive.

I had one person come up to me to return a flyer - she had taken it to put up in her staffroom at her work, but had found it was already there so gave it back to me so I could pass it on to someone who hadn't heard. 2 people wanted to take the last flyer I had, so they decided between themselves to share it and read it as they walked up the street. It was things like this that inspired me throughout the day.

At 10:25, we moved from Cathedral Square to the Christchurch Central Police Station. We held the banners at the main entrance ramp to the station, as people continued handing out fliers and talking to passers by.

While we were there, we noticed a woman standing half-hidden behind a tree with a camera taking photos. When approached, she claimed to be "from the polytech" and was hiding because she was "shy". After taking heaps of photos of everyone present, however, she walked around the block (in the hope we wouldn't notice where she'd gone) and then in a side entrance to the cop shop!

Lots of media were present - Newstalk ZB had been talking about it in the morning before we had started, and interviewed a bunch of people down at the action. TV1 and TV3 were both there, as was The Press.

All in all, I would estimate well over 1500 fliers handed out during the day.

The Otautahi crew will keep on doings things in the near future.

I've just been informed that National Radio also talked about our action, and read out our email address on air so people could contact us.

What is happening with Clint Rickards?? Does anyone know?? Is he still in the Police force?