By EUGENE BINGHAM
A member of the Red Squad has admitted he was the suspect in an unsolved investigation into the beating of three clowns by police during the 1981 Springbok rugby tour.
But Tyrone Laurenson says he was not responsible and, like fellow members of the squad, remains adamant that he has no idea who bashed the trio 20 years ago.
"If it is [the Red Squad] it would have to be the best-kept secret in the police," said Mr Laurenson.
The assault of the clowns by three unidentified policemen was a particularly sickening moment of violence on a vicious afternoon after the last test match of the tour.
Members of the Red Squad, one of two specially trained police teams set up for the tour, were investigated.
But despite a police inquiry and a civil trial, those responsible have never been brought to justice.
After a two-month investigation, the Weekend Herald today reveals the pressure Mr Laurenson and his colleagues felt and the lengths they went to to avoid one of their number being singled out.
We talk to the man who had the mission near-impossible of investigating the clowns' complaint, former Chief Superintendent Jim Morgan.
We track down a witness who left the country because of what he saw during the tour and find that at least one of the beaten clowns has softened his feelings towards the police.
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