Bob Schollum, Brad Shipton and Clint Rickards are rapists

After long deliberations the jury returned today acquitting Bob Schollum, Brad Shipton and Clint Rickards of all charges. Clint Rickards is now trying to return to his job as Deputy Comissioner of the New Zealand police. Bob Schollum and Brad Shipton are returning to their jail cells, as both were found guilty of a historic rape case in 2005 (a fact that no other jury has been allowed to know about).

A friend of mine wrote a song about this:

JUST ONE MORE THURSDAY IN BLACK

Well the jury retired with a word from the judge
Not to go and do anything rash
And the lawyers withdrew, replenished anew
With undisclosed payments of cash
It was on a Wednesday that the jury retired
And on Thursday came dutifly back
There was nothing so special they had to report
It was just one more Thursday in black

There was no expense spared to make sure it was fair
There was even a guest star Allblack ((Member of the New Zealand Rugby Team – pinnacle of New Zealand’s sporting achievement. Clint Rickards was able to call a friend of his who was an All Black to testify. I always imagined that his testimony would start ‘as an All Black, I know something about rape’))
But at closing the law showed who it works for
It was one more Thursday in black

Well if you¹re a pig and sufficiently big
And there¹s several of you in a pack
You can do pretty much what you like to a woman
And know that she can¹t hit you back
Right now somewhere unknown ,there¹s a woman alone
In pain and in fear on the rack
while grinning police ready bottle and grease
for one more Thursday in black

There was no expense spared to make sure it was fair
There was even a guest star Allblack
But at closing the law showed who it works for
It was just one more Thursday in black

Don Franks

There are two things that I choose to hold on to, from the series of cop rape trials. The first is that this it not OK. The legal system does not deliver justice for women, but more than that – this should never have happened in the first place. Many people knew that these cops were abusive, and no-one did anything about it, and these are not the only police who have used their power to rape and abuse. We must hold onto our outrage, because it is out of that outrage that the hope for a something better can be built.

What gives me real hope is the knowledge that I’m not alone. That all over New Zealand, in places I wouldn’t necessarily expect, people are thinking what I’m thinking, and feeling what I’m feeling. If we can get just some of these people together, who knows what we could do.

I’m sure I’ll have more tomorrow, but all that’s left to say tonight is to pay heed to the dignity of the women who sought justice against Clint Rickards, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum. And leave the last words to Louise Nicholas: “We did our best. We did our very best. The justice system has let us down again.”

Note for Comments This post is for feminist and feminist-friendly comments only. If you want to doubt the word of any of the complainants take it somewhere else. I’m not hosting that today.