Victims lose faith in police force

‘Months of violence’ preceded shooting

A top police boss has offered to personally intervene in an alleged sex assault case against a senior officer, as victims say they are losing faith in how investigations are handled.

Assistant Commissioner for Investigations Richard Chambers made the offer after a woman said she did not believe she would be treated fairly if she laid a complaint. She alleged she was sexually assaulted by a senior officer who has faced similar allegations from other women.

She did not want her complaint heard by the same investigative team, as she had concerns about how the case was being handled.

The woman made contact with Police National Headquarters on February 19.

She advised she was considering reporting a sexual assault by a senior police officer, and added: ‘‘I don’t want the people already investigating him doing mine’’.

Detective Senior Sergeant Anthony Tebbutt replied: ‘‘There would be flexibility within that team regarding who you speak to but ... it would need to be the same team that investigates any further complaints.’’ The woman replied she would not be filing a report.

She said she had grappled with whether to lay a complaint against the officer for the alleged historical offending. ‘‘There was no way back then, that I was reporting it, because he was a policeman,’’ she said. ‘‘They have so much power, and who would believe me?’’

Chambers said he wanted to assure victims ‘‘that police will take their complaint seriously and investigate all aspects fully’’.

‘‘Where a sexual assault complaint is laid and concerns are raised by the complainant about the investigation team or process, those concerns will be considered by police and an appropriate way forward identified.’’ Chambers offered to communicate directly with the woman in confidence.

After submitted a request to police for information on the issue, Tebbutt contacted the woman to say: ‘‘I’m sorry … if I haven’t been clear.

‘‘If you don’t want the current investigation team to be involved, that is not an issue. Your complaint can be investigated by a separate team.’’

The woman said she would not be making contact with Chambers, and questioned why she had not received such an offer before media became involved.

The incident is the latest in a string of concerns about how police are handling sex assault allegations against their own officers.

In October last year, a woman who alleged she was abused by an officer said the process had left her frustrated and anxious, and she worried detectives were not taking her complaint seriously.

The following month, police investigators admitted they failed to make contact with an alleged victim until five months after they received her contact details.

A few weeks later complaints emerged that police were using prominent advocate Louise Nicholas to ‘‘manipulate’’ alleged victims of police abuse. Nicholas said the claims were ‘‘ridiculous.’’ In the months leading up to being fatally shot, Chozyn Koroheke was stabbed, beaten with a rock and threatened by her partner, Turiarangi Tai, a court has heard.

Tai is facing one charge of murder after Koroheke, 22, was gunned down at a property in Auckland suburb Pakuranga in April 2017.

His trial began at the High Court in Auckland on Monday.

A woman is also on trial alongside Tai, charged with being an accessory after the fact of murder. The woman has name suppression.

Prosecutor Mark Williams told the jury Tai and Koroheke were partners but their relationship was plagued with problems.

Williams said that prior to her death Tai had beaten Koroheke with a rock, stabbed her, and threatened to shoot her.

On April 4, 2017, she was ‘‘violently killed’’ in her home by a single shot to the right side of her abdomen, Williams said.

‘‘Chozyn, a daughter, a sister, and mother of two children was in a relationship with Mr Tai. It was a relatively short relationship, but one characterised by violence at his hands.’’

The couple lived in a flat in Pakuranga with Koroheke’s brother and his partner.

On the day of Koroheke’s death, she and Tai had again been arguing, Williams said.

‘‘It appeared Tai was accusing Chozyn with hanging around with guys the night before,’’ Williams said.

At one point, Tai allegedly brought a gun into the house and showed it off to Koroheke’s brother. It was unloaded at the time.

Shortly afterward, Tai packed his bags and got in his car to leave.

Before driving off he yelled at Koroheke to bring him a smoke and petrol money.

Koroheke’s brother heard her say: ‘‘You haven’t talked to me all day, why would I help you?’’

According to the Crown, Tai drove down the end of the driveway. Koroheke went back inside the house and sat with her brother and his partner in their bedroom.

But Tai hadn’t left the property. When he had got to the end of the driveway, he turned around and went back towards the house, the court heard.

Koroheke went outside but ran back inside distressed.

‘‘She was now saying: He is coming in, he has got a shotgun,’’ Williams said.

Koroheke ran to her brother’s bedroom with Tai following her, the court heard.

Tai prised the door open and allegedly fired a single shot at Koroheke from 50cm away.

‘‘He aimed first at her head – hitting her head with the barrel,’’ Williams said. ‘‘With one hand on the barrel and an angry look on his face and swearing ... he lowered the gun and shot her close in the side of the abdomen.’’

Despite emergency services being called, Koroheke died a short time later in the house.

Defence lawyer Peter Kaye told the jury Tai would argue he should be found guilty of manslaughter, not murder.