By SIMON HENDERY
The family doctor of a teenage rape victim knew the girl was being regularly abused by her uncle more than five years before police arrested the man.
Dr Ramon Pink told the High Court at Auckland yesterday that he had offered to take the 16-year-old to police after she
told him in 1994 that her uncle had been having sex with her, but she had "emphatically" refused.
Before the court are the woman's uncle, aged 55, and aunt, 59, who are accused of abusing her over a 10-year period while she was in their care. Their names are suppressed.
The man has admitted 13 sex and violence charges, including seven of rape, but pleaded not guilty to six other counts relating to the same woman, who is now 22. He has also denied two charges raping the woman's 18-year-old sister.
His wife has denied charges of rape, injuring with intent to injure, procuring a miscarriage, and trying to pervert the course of justice.
Dr Pink said he saw the 22-year-old in February 1994 when, as a 16-year-old, she had arrived at his South Auckland health clinic with a black eye.
She had told him her uncle had been having sex with her. However, she had refused his suggestion that she talk to police or another agency.
Dr Pink said he had administered a contraceptive injection and had seen the woman from time to time for booster shots.
A 19-page statement from the woman's aunt, given to the police at the time of her arrest, was read to the court yesterday.
In it she said her niece had become pregnant at 15 and she had suspected that her husband was responsible.
She had confronted her husband, who had admitted having sex with the girl and said he was sorry.
She denied the complainant's claim that she had fed her Epsom salts to induce an abortion or that she had held the girl down while her husband raped her.
But she said she "gave permission" for the pair to continue to have sex "because she [the niece] must like it."
She had not alerted authorities because "I know the police only deal with important and urgent complaints."
The trial continues today.
