Man accused of raping friend

A woman who says she was raped by a friend did not initially want to lay a complaint after internet searches revealed what happens to rape victims.

She was worried she’d be in for a prolonged ordeal while the case was investigated.

‘‘I thought maybe I could just forget about it,’’ she told a jury in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday. ‘‘But that’s pretty much impossible.’’

She says Peter James Ross, 38, raped her in her Feilding home in June 2016. There is no argument Ross and the woman, who cannot be named, had sexual contact, and Ross’ semen was found on her nightgown.

Defence lawyer Paul Knowsley said consent was the issue. ‘‘This is not a court of morality. This is a court of law, and not everything that is immoral is against the law.’’

In his opening address, Crown prosecutor Truc Tran said the woman was at her Feilding home with her husband the night of the incident. She spent the evening in her bedroom while her husband had visitors over.

The woman’s husband at some point gave a friend a ride across town, and thought everyone apart from his wife had left. But Ross and an associate, who had arrived earlier, were still on the property, Tran said.

Ross talked to the woman outside her bedroom, then inside it – something they had done before. Ross then lay on the bed, moved towards the woman and tried to kiss her, before getting on top of her, Tran said.

Despite her saying she was ‘‘not like other girls’’, Ross continued. That was when the rape allegedly happened, Tran said.

The woman began giving evidence yesterday, saying she was in bed early that night because she was not feeling well. She knew Ross before that night and it was not unusual for them to spend time with or text message each other.

She was unable to move from under him when he started having sex with her as he held her down, she said. After he finished, he rolled off her and started crying, she said. ‘‘It was full-body crying... [for] maybe 30 seconds’’. There had been no talk about them having sex beforehand, she said.

The trial, before Judge Stephanie Edwards and a jury, continues.