A taxpayer-funded television movie about Rotorua rape-victim advocate Louise Nicholas is under way, and the woman herself said she was stunned producers wanted to bring her tragic life story to the small screen.
"I never expected this to happen," she said. "My first question when they asked me was 'why?' They said it was an important story and they wanted it out there. When you've lived it and someone else wants to relive it, you think that it's weird. My hope is it will generate conversations. It's not about me any more, it's about keeping that conversation going, helping each other and educating young ones to be safe."
Mrs Nicholas accused three former police officers of raping her in Rotorua in the 1980s. In 2006 former assistant Police Commissioner Clint Rickards and his two former police colleagues Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum went to trial. They were acquitted on all charges but it was later revealed Shipton and Schollum were already in prison for rape. In 2007 the former head of the Rotorua CIB John Dewar was jailed for attempting to obstruct or defeat the course of justice, involving the handling of Mrs Nicholas' historic sex allegations.
The film, funded by NZ On Air's Platinum fund, is being made by Condor Encore for TV One's Sunday Theatre. Filming has just finished and editing is under way. Its working title is Project L and is based on Mrs Nicholas' book, My Story, which she co-wrote with journalist Phil Kitchin. He broke her story in 2004, which led to a full police investigation and a commission of inquiry into police conduct.
"The commission of inquiry was a turning point," Mrs Nicholas said. "Everything has happened for a reason and we're moving on together. I've had no bad feedback from the police as to why do we want to drag it up again. It wasn't the New Zealand Police that hurt me, it was the individuals within.
