Michelle Blundell as Louise Nicholas in the new television drama 'Consent'. Photo / Supplied
Michelle Blundell as Louise Nicholas in the new television drama 'Consent'. Photo / Supplied
Most New Zealanders know the name Louise Nicholas by now.
But unless you followed the court cases thoroughly, by reading every article in the newspaper or watching all the television news footage, you probably didn't know the details of her life until watching television movie Consent on Sunday night.
Thepowerful movie detailed how, as a 13-year-old, she was allegedly raped repeatedly by a Murupara police officer and then later in life she was allegedly raped by three Rotorua police officers. It also highlighted her misguided trust in Detective Inspector John Dewar, who was later jailed for perverting the course of justice relating to two aborted trials involving the Murupara police officer.
What is remarkable about Mrs Nicholas' story is that Dewar was the only one who was found guilty in all her legal battles. Both of the rape trials ended in acquittals yet she is still hailed a hero in this country for speaking out about sexual abuse.
Is this a reflection of our justice system? How would those jury members feel now knowing two of the Rotorua police officers, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum, were already serving jail terms for rape when they stood trial for raping Mrs Nicholas.
This information was kept from them so as not to prejudice their trial. Should the jury have known? Would it have changed the outcome? I'm sure it would.
Most police today would view the behaviour of those police officers as appalling and the subsequent Commission of Inquiry into Police Conduct was long overdue. Mrs Nicholas might not have all the guilty verdicts she would like, but as she said in the movie, she might have "lost the battle but she won the war".
