Name suppression continued

AUCKLAND: A man accused of indecent assaults at a Labour Party summer camp will keep his identity secret to preserve his fair trial rights, a judge has ruled.

The 20yearold was arrested in June and charged with six counts of indecent assault against four complainants.

The charges followed a police investigation into allegations from a Labour Party summer camp at Waihi on the Coromandel Peninsula in February.

The allegations of indecent assaults against four young people surfaced in March.

The accused appeared before Judge Russell Collins in the Auckland District Court yesterday seeking to extend his interim name suppression.

Counsel Emma Priest argued her client should keep name suppression until determination of the charges, and may seek permanent suppression if there were valid grounds to do so.

Police did not oppose the application, but three media organisations did.

Judge Collins granted interim name suppression and bailed the man until later this year.

‘‘I am satisfied, and have been satisfied quite quickly there would be a real risk to fair trial rights,’’ he said.

There had been an ‘‘extremely high level of media coverage’’ and people had talked in the press ‘‘without thinking that a prosecution may ultimately result’’.

‘‘His presumption of innocence is paramount,’’ Judge Collins said.

The case will be formally handed to the Crown Solicitor at the next court appearance.

The accused pleaded not guilty at his first appearance.

The alleged assaults occurred at an evening event and reports later detailed claims of heavy and underage drinking.