Cruel New Zealand Rape Trial
@ 2006-04-01 - 01:19:33It is time that the jury system is replaced by more reliable judicial proceedings. When half the jurors are smokers and crave a cigarette, and most do not get fully reimbursed for loss of wages during a trial, a culture of resentment towards the victim develops.
Few if any take notes during court sessions, due in part to illiteracy. Instead they rely on oral memory, even while daydreaming during boring court sessions. From my own experiences as a juror it appears that jurors are not accountable to anyone. They just need to hand in their cell phones temporarily and desist from talking about the case, outside the court house.
Their aim is to get a consensus as quickly as possible, even if it means bullying other jurors and then to get the hell out of there!
The jury in the Louise Nicholas rape trial at the NZ Auckland High court has found assistant police commissioner Clint Rickards and former officers Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton not guilty on all 20 charges of rape, sexual violation and indecent assault dating back two decades.
Back in 1993 Louise Nicholas finally got up enough courage to formally complain about the serial raping and one incident of violation with a police baton, that she had been forced to endure as an 18 years old. She was neither socially mature nor physically capable of being able to deal with the three predatory police officers.
Louise was first raped by a policeman when aged 13, but the case was ‘white-washed’ and the policeman never convicted. When multiple raping by three policemen started for her at the age of 18 she hadn’t felt confident enough to tell her parents, thinking that her father would have killed one or more of the rapists and ended up in jail for life.
“Rickards told the court that sex with Louise Nicholas was consensual, that it was a fun and jovial time and it happened on two occasions in the evening.” He has lied of course because he wants to avoid punishment.
"But the behaviour of Rickards and the other two officers was outrageous, audacious and cruel. Louise described herself as "playdough" in the hands of the three accused, and said how she couldn't just tell them to go to hell."
It is well known that most rapists in jury trials get acquitted. The message that women will get from this trial is, forget about being a rape victim because justice will be perverted to make you look like the perpetrator. After all, you are a woman; you asked for it!
However there is some hope for justice to be done because the police are defending their decision to charge Clint Rickards.
Comments: Hide subcomments
Infuriating!
 | ianrthorpe [Member] 25/04/06 @ 18:18 |
The idea of doing away with juries horrifies me. The law is supposed to be impartial but we have seen in the UK recently, government attempts to coerce the judiciary and in America of course, Bush has crammed the supreme court with justices sympathetic to the politics of the religious right.
Having said that, I think rape is an exception as evidence is often circumstantial and I would like to see rape cases heard by a panal of judges, with a female majority maybe.
 | dawn03 [Member] 25/04/06 @ 23:44 |
Thank you for your sane and sensible comments Ian.
There is a potential contempt of court charge out against individuals in New Zealand who have reproduced the following flyer:
"Clint Rickards, Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton were found not guilty of raping Louise Nicholas. The jury deliberated for three days before reaching this verdict.
Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton are both currently in jail for rape. They were convicted in a pack rape case late last year.
The jury were not allowed to know this as their names were suppressed. Another woman had been raped with a police baton by these men, but the jury weren't told.
During the trial Louise Nicholas' past was considered relevant and the defence attacked her for it. But the past of the defendants was suppressed.
We broke name suppression because we want rape survivors in this country to get justice. Louise Nicholas was incredibly brave and strong to stand up against her attackers when they held such positions of power. It's a travesty that the evidence that would show she was telling the truth never made it to court.
If you believe that the women of this country need to feel safe within the justice system that represents them...
If you believe our society should stand firm on the elimination of abuse of others ...
If you believe that 'people' in positions of authority or power are not above the law ...
then make a stand for a justice.
Make a stand for a justice system which allow our daughters, mothers, sisters cousins and we as individuals to feel safe under the protection of the 'law' and those who are paid to uphold it."
As one lawyer I heard on my car radio said, the verdict against these men was not "Innocent" but was "Not Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the charges laid against them."
They are not exonerated. They are not innocent. The verdict does not say that.
Their names will never be forgotten.
I hope and trust the victim is getting some closure from the huge outpouring of support for her in New Zealand.
Dawn
11/05/06 @ 12:36
How is it Dawn? How is New Zealand? Into winter? brrr....
Don't ask about England. It's a daze.
| dawn03 [Member] 22/05/06 @ 07:32 |
Hi Anna
I'm really sorry for taking so long to reply to your questions. Yes, we're heading into winter now, but in Auckland autumn colours are everywhere. When it's not raining and the sun is shining it's still hot. I presume England is suffering from a water shortage, or will be soon.
You were so quick to sell up everything and return home, that I'm wondering if you have got your breath back yet. It is wonderful to recover from homesickness.
Cheers
Dawn
26/05/06 @ 09:08
Hi Dawn
The UK is awash with water.... trouble is most of it is salty. How come we can penetrate the outer limits of the solar system, yet we do not seem to be able to create efficient and effective desalination plants. The need for water is surely far more important than obtaining accurate readings of the Solar Wind!
R
| dawn03 [Member] 01/04/07 @ 22:09 |
Hi Rick
How did I miss your comment? Obviously I had my priorities out of order.
T'is autumn again in NZ and the floods are flooding in between hot sun strikes - solar wind?
D
 | phinebooty [Member] 24/07/06 @ 15:31 |
hi Dawn, i cannot belive new zeland is like some of these 3rd world countries when it comes to justtice, particulalry for women. bu then again, who said first world countries wer any different. it's totally infuriating that women continue to be exploited and hurt by men who then turn around and blame women for their(men) shit. it beggars belief. wish women were running the world and more importantly that our menatlity would change for the better
| dawn03 [Member] 26/07/06 @ 11:40 |
Hi Phine
Thanks for your comment. NZ is supposed to be a civilized nation, but often I doubt it. Corruption where there should be accountability seems to be endemic.
D
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