Race driver rape trial
An up and coming motorsport athlete is standing trial on multiple charges of rape and indecent assault offences allegedly committed in 2014.
Faine Kahia, 21, appeared in Rotorua District Court yesterday facing three charges of sexual violation by rape, three charges of indecent assault, two charges of male assaults female and one charge of a sexual assault of a young person.
The alleged offending, which Kahia denies, is alleged to have occurred around 2014. In the years following, Kahia’s motorsport career was beginning to take off. He was accepted into the New Zealand Elite Motorsport Academy, received a sponsorship deal with Giltrap Group and represented New Zealand in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championships helped with $2000 raised through a Givealittle page. He was also named a Ma¯ori youth ambassador and was a finalist in the Matariki Awards, young achiever category. Kahia had name suppression leading up to his trial which has now lapsed.
In her opening address Crown prosecutor Ngaroma Tahana said the first sexual encounter with the victim was consensual, but the victim was underage which constituted a crime.
‘‘He would ask her most days for sex,’’ Tahana said. As time progressed Kahia became more dominant and controlling whenever the two met.
At a party Kahia had become drunk and went into a bedroom at the house. It was then the victim was, ‘‘pushed into the same bedroom’’ but refused to get into bed with Kahia. Eventually a friend came to her aid and she was able to leave.
The first alleged rape occurred after Kahia asked the complainant to come into his bedroom where, the Crown alleges, he pulled the curtains closed and had sex despite her saying no.
‘‘Not long after this incident the same thing did happen again.’’
Tahana said Kahia used a threat of self harm to talk the complainant into his bedroom again where he again had sex with her without her permission.
The Crown said the victim was crying throughout but it didn’t stop him.
After the third incident the complainant withdrew from Kahia, ignored his texts and messages and tried to isolate herself from him as much as possible.
Tahana said in her opening address that Kahia has denied the charges and offered different versions of events.
Kahia’s counsel did not give an opening address to the jury.
The crown will call their main witness today as the trial continues.