Accused hands life to rapetrial jury
"I'm Robert Tautari and I did not do those things to those kids." Child-rape accused
Robert Tautari acknowledges it is two against one when deciding who to believe about a key conversation where he allegedly admitted raping two girls – but he is adamant he is right.
The 24-year-old spent most of Tuesday in the witness box in the Palmerston North District Court. For much of that he was questioned by Crown prosecutor Erin Fitzherbert.
Tautari is on trial, accused of raping two girls and assaulting a boy in 2013 and 2014. He has already pleaded guilty to assaulting one of the girls and a different child.
All the children were known to him at the time of the alleged offences.
Fitzherbert’s questions covered a wide range of topics, but a large chunk was spent focusing on a conversation Tautari had with two social workers.
Both the social workers told the trial the conversation was to be about Tautari having a safety plan for dealing with his children. They said he ended up admitting he raped the girls.
However, Tautari said they were wrong.
‘‘I could have stood up [during their evidence] and said, ‘blah blah blah’, but I took it all on.
‘‘There is no match-up with [my story] and it’s two against what I say.’’
He said he went to discuss the plan, but was soon facing accusations by one of the social workers.
‘‘She said, ‘Bobby, you raped those girls, you admitted it, you have to plead guilty and do courses if you want to see your kids’.’’
But Fitzherbert said that made no sense, as they were wanting to discuss the safety plan so he could be with his children.
She also asked if Tautari lied in his police interview.
Tautari denied all allegations put to him by police during the interview, including the two assaults he has since pleaded guilty to.
In court, he admitted to telling some lies in the interview, but reiterated his innocence on the other charges.
He was reluctant to say the children were lying and refused to accept they got together and made up stories about him.
‘‘I’m not saying how they went about it. I’m saying I never did what they accuse me of.
‘‘I’m Robert Tautari and I did not do those things to those kids.’’
He spoke to the jury directly once he finished giving evidence, bowing with his hands above his head as he said: ‘‘Jury, I hand my life over to you’’.
The trial also heard from members of Tautari’s family, who said he worked hard and was not violent towards children.
The trial continues.