News

England quartet free of police proceedings

Friday 04th July 2008

The four England players accused of a sexual assault in Auckland's Hilton hotel are in the clear from police proceeedings, after the woman at the centre of the accusation issued a statement through her lawyer on Friday.

The statement confirms that four players were involved in the incident, not two with two watching as was previously reported.

She says she was invited back to the hotel by one player, and that her injuries after the incident were such that she was referred to the police by the medical professionals who treated her.

The quartet of players has been free of formal questioning requests because of the lack of a formal complaint from the woman, but the statement also says that she is not going to make a formal complaint for fear of media intrusion.

The statement also denied that her complaint was prompted by a boyfriend, that she works as a lap dancer, and that she knows the lap dancer knwn as 'Angel Barbie', who sold stories of an encouter with David Strettle to newspapers.

Auckland police flew to Christchurch in a bid to interview the quartet in the wake of the incident, alleged to have happened after the first Test in Auckland.

But the players refused, with team management backing the decision and citing independent legal advice. They have not been formally identified, although the RFU is considering that step as it carries out its own inquiry.

"We can advise that the victim remains of the view that she will not make a formal complaint to the New Zealand Police," wrote Jack Hodder, a partner in leading New Zealand law firm Chapman Tripp, to the RFU's disciplinary officer Judge Jeff Blackett.

"As you will appreciate she anticipates the course would generate extensive and invasive new media, threaten her privacy and personal life and compound the impact on her of the June 15 sexual violations.

"The violations caused such injuries such that the medical professionals treating her referred her to the police.

"There is no truth in reported speculations...that she is a lap dancer or that her dealings with the medical professionals or the police were prompted by a 'boyfriend'.

"We recognise that this will not make easier your task of investigating and reporting on this serious misconduct.

"We understand from the New Zealand Police that neither your investigation nor the RFU have been in communication with them on this matter.

"We infer from this that you may not seek information from New Zealand sources.

"However, should you have some specific points requiring clarification, we would seek instructions on those."