A Marton man has gone on trial in the Wanganui District Court for allegedly indulging an "unhealthy sexual interest in young girls".
The man, who has name suppression, faces two counts of indecent assault on a child under 12, and four counts of sexual violation. The trial is in front
of Judge David Cameron.
In his opening address to the jury, Crown prosecutor Harry Mallalieu said the accused had an "unhealthy sexual interest in young girls", which began with inappropriate touching of two victims, starting when they were both aged 6, and escalated from 2008-11.
The girls were interviewed in 2011, when they both described incidents where the man touched them inappropriately in bed. Just over a month later, he was interviewed by police. He told them he had heard allegations had been made. Mr Mallalieu said the children's allegations were corroborated by the man to some extent, because he admitted to touching one girl around the groin while towel-drying her leg after a shower, but said it was innocent. He also admitted pinching their bottoms as part of a cuddle, but said there was nothing indecent about it. Mr Mallalieu said critical evidence would come from the girls themselves, and the jury should focus on their reliability and credibility. He urged them to think in context of the victims being children and how the offending occurred - when they were in a state of semi-sleep.
Defence counsel Roger Crowley outlined the issues. It was the defence position that the man did not sexually violate or indecently assault either girl. He said the allegations against the man were "very easy" to make but "almost impossible" to disprove, because there were no witnesses or recordings. He said the jury would see, in the police video interview, the girls say something that didn't make any sense, which pointed to the child fabricating the evidence. "As difficult as it is to make this submission ... kids do tell lies. We all know that."
