The head of psychological medicine at Otago University, Colin David Bouwer, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday charged with murdering his wife.
At Bouwer's second appearance in court on the charge, Judge David Saunders declined to continue name suppression, despite an application from counsel David More.
Bouwer, aged 50, is charged
with murdering Annette Barbara Bouwer, 47, at Dunedin between last September 30 and January 5.
At Bouwer's first court appearance on September 15, he was granted interim name suppression because he was involved in a manslaughter trial at the time.
His lawyer made no application for bail.
Yesterday, Mr More applied to continue Bouwer's name suppression until a bail application hearing on Thursday.
He said naming Bouwer would affect the couple's two children, a boy and girl, who were effectively "orphans in a strange country with no relations in New Zealand."
They were being cared for by a fellow psychiatrist.
Crown prosecutor Marie Grills opposed continued suppression as it had only been granted initially because Bouwer was involved in the manslaughter case.
Mrs Grills said publication of Bouwer's name could lead to other people coming forward.
Continued suppression would also risk putting other members of the medical and psychiatric profession under suspicion.
Judge Saunders said a recent Court of Appeal decision highlighted the need to ensure suppression orders were not granted lightly.
He declined continued suppression and remanded Bouwer in custody until Thursday's bail hearing.
Bouwer works in the university's school of medicine.
He became a senior lecturer with the department of psychological medicine in 1997.
He specialises in anxiety and mood disorders, psychoneuro-endocrinology, psychopharmacology and biological psychiatry.
- NZPA
