Rugby League: Police back off DNA testing of El Masri in sex scandal

SYDNEY - New South Wales police will not take immediate court action to force Bulldogs star Hazem El Masri to give a DNA sample as part of investigations into the alleged gang rape of a 20-year-old woman.

Detectives attached to Strike Force McGuigon met yesterday to decide whether to initiate action against El Masri, the only player under investigation who has refused to give DNA.

A police spokeswoman said no application for court orders would proceed today, but would not say why.

Although it was unlikely this decision would change in the near future, she would not rule out the possibility.

El Masri, a devout Muslim, last week refused to co-operate with requests for a sample, despite being ruled out as a suspect. He said he was insulted at being dragged into the scandal.

Yesterday's decision by police not to seek a court application came as officers questioned six Bulldogs staff over allegations by the woman that up to six Bulldogs players raped her at a Coffs Harbour resort last month.

Bulldogs' coach Steve Folkes and game-day operations manager Grant Mayer were among the officials who attended Campsie police station to be interviewed.

They declined to comment as they walked into the police station, where it was expected they would be questioned about any knowledge of the alleged attack and whether players colluded on their accounts of the incident.

El Masri's solicitor Chris Murphy said the decision on the Bulldogs star did not surprise him.

"I don't believe the police have any legal entitlements [to force the DNA sample]," he said. "I think it would be a doomed application and a waste of the court's time."

Leading politicians waded into the scandal yesterday.

Prime Minister John Howard said league players should not receive special treatment if they were found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman.

He said anyone who committed a crime should be punished, but everyone was innocent until proven guilty, and no action should be taken until a police investigation into the allegations was completed.

Howard, a season ticketholder for St George Illawarra, said he supported those who were trying to lead league through a difficult time.

"But having said that, if people have committed crimes they should be punished like anybody else who's committed a crime, and there should be no special arrangement. I'm sure there won't be.

"If people have broken the law, if people have been violent and broken the law in relation to women, or indeed anybody else, then they deserve to be punished."

Treasurer Peter Costello attacked league clubs over what he said was a cone of silence surrounding allegations of sexual assault.

"When a complaint is made about violence, it should not be the subject of a cone of silence in the club or among those who may have information," Costello said.

"It should not be the subject of jokes, it should be the subject of horror because all of us have a responsibility to expose such violence as part of a campaign to make sure it doesn't happen again."

The sexual assault claims took a fresh twist on Sunday when a Coffs Harbour woman said she was told by team officials not to go to the police with rape allegations 13 months ago.

The 43-year-old said she was assaulted by a first-grade player before the start of the season.

She alleged the rape occurred in the darkness of a room where she had earlier consented to sex with the player's team-mate.

Fleeing the room yelling and crying, she said she was followed by the first player, who urged her not to contact the police. Two club officials also tried to deter her from contacting the police, she said.

- AGENCIES