Uncle guilty of abuse

Judge Peter Rollo said the niece gave a ‘‘clear and concise’’ account of what happened, enough to convince him of her version of events ...

A man has admitted three historical indecent assault charges and been found guilty of another against his niece and nephew.

The indecent assaults date back to the mid-1990s.

In the Palmerston North District Court yesterday, the man, whose name is suppressed, pleaded guilty to two charges of indecency with a boy under 12 and a charge of indecent assault, which replaced a charge of attempted sexual violation by unlawful connection.

At a trial before a judge, with no jury, he was also found guilty of sexual violation by unlawful connection of a girl under 12.

The victims, who are siblings, were unaware of each other’s allegations until the sister confided in her parents, then her father told the son, who said it had happened to him too.

They went to police in February last year.

The court heard the man twice indecently assaulted his nephew – once in O¯ hakune, when the boy was about 8 and was playing hide and seek, and once in Masterton about two years later.

The man didn’t give evidence, but in his police interview, played to the court, he admitted to an indecent act with the niece and two separate incidents with the nephew.

During the assault on the niece, she claimed he took her into a bedroom during a game of hide and seek.

But the offender claimed the incident with the niece happened in a wood shed.

He said once he pulled her pants and underwear down, she became upset and ran off.

Judge Peter Rollo said the niece gave a ‘‘clear and concise’’ account of what happened.

When asked why he had stopped offending, the man said it was because he didn’t want to become like his father.

The man will stay in custody until sentencing on August 31.