My working hours suddenly and rather unexpectedly doubled and to top it all I’m going overseas shortly. So I’ll try and catch up on some of my backlog over the weekend, but be aware that posting (at least from me) will be somewhat infrequent over the next month. But I’ll be back…

I try not to read Stuff’s ‘Have Your Say’ page because it makes me angry. But I was looking at Google News for articles to blog about, and this one comment stood out:

This policy is very anti male – otherwise why not interview them as well? One half of society has been recruited to inform on the other half. One shudders at the use to which this information will be put.
Ian

Now I have extremely mixed feelings about the policy of asking women who go to hospital for any reason about whether they have been subject to violence or abuse – but my concern is for the welfare of those women, not the people they might be “informing” against .

But more to the point, acknowledging that domestic violence and rape are most often perpetrated by men against women is not anti-male. It is not saying that all men are violent – they’re not. It’s not saying that only men suffer from these types of violence – they’re not. If we’re going to have this system at all I have no problem with it being applied to both men and women, but it’s not some kind of nationwide prejudice against men that it’s not.

I have a lot of respect for people who genuinely work to end violence against both women and men. I have no time whatsoever for whiners who seek to undermine the experience of women or portray survivors of abuse as motivated by a malicious vendetta.

Also, welcome to Maia (capitalismbad) who’s just started blogging here.

Protests at the start of John Dewar’s trial – be there!

(Please forward to your networks. Apologies for cross posting.)

In the early 1990s John Dewar persuaded Louise Nicholas not to make a formal complaint against Bob Schollum, Brad Shipton and Clint Rickards.

He has now been charged with attempting to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice. His trial will begin on Tuesday 24th June.

Come along and protest this cover-up and show your support for Louise Nicholas and other survivors of police rape.

Wellington
Rally 12pm, Tuesday 24th July outside the High Court, Molesworth Street (opposite parliament)

Organised by Wellington Action Against Rape. For more information contact gracemaiamillar@gmail.com

Auckland
Picket 5pm, Tuesday 24th July outside Britomart

Contact Ruth Amato on 021 253 0118

Christchurch

Information and interactive street theatre 12pm, Tuesday 24th July outside Police Centre, Cathedral Square.

____________________________________

Who is John Dewar?
John Dewar was the head of the Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) of Rotorua police in the early 1990s.

What is he being charged with?
John Dewar is being charged with four charges of attempting to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice between 1993 and 1994.

When is his trial?
His trial will begin on Tuesday July 24th.  He has pleaded ‘not guilty’.

What are the charges about?
In the early 1990s John Dewar persuaded Louise Nicholas not to make a formal complaint against Bob Schollum, Brad Shipton and Clint Rickards.  He did not investigate the complaint properly.  Judge Lance criticised his conduct: “I am of the view [John Dewar's] failure to record and detail these allegations was not only remarkable, it was utterly incredible. [...] After all, here was an experienced detective inspector investigating allegations of serious sexual offending. During his interview with the complainant, he is told of allegations of potentially serious sexual offending by three other named and currently serving police officers.”

Weren’t Clint Rickards, Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton found innocent?
They were found not guilty – there wasn’t enough evidence 20 years later.  If John Dewar hadn’t tried to protect his mates, and investigated the complaints properly the trials might have gone very differently.

Why does this matter?
Women who were raped by police in Rotorua in the 1980s didn’t make complaints, because they thought no-one would believe them.  What happened when Louise Nicholas tried to make a complaint showed that they were right.  When the police protect their own from accusations of rape, as John Dewar did in this case, then you are giving police a license to act with impunity.

What can people who believe Louise Nicholas do?
There will be pickets outside the High Court in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch on the first day of the trial, Tuesday 24. The details are:

Wellington
Rally 12pm, Tuesday 24th July outside the High Court, Molesworth Street (opposite parliament)

Organised by Wellington Action Against Rape. For more information contact gracemaiamillar@gmail.com

Auckland
Picket 5pm, Tuesday 24th July outside Britomart

Contact Ruth Amato on 021 253 0118

Christchurch

Information and interactive street theatre 12pm, Tuesday 24th July outside Police Centre, Cathedral Square.