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Police drop clowns probe

PA Wellington An outside investigation of the police’s alleged attack on three clowns would not’ have obtained the same co-opera-tion that the police received, said the Commissioner of Police, Mr R. J. Walton, yesterday. “It would not get off the ground floor,” he said. The police had concluded from their inquiry into the incident that there was not enough evidence to justify criminal or disciplinary action against the police. He did not think anybody pould improve on the police investigation. Mr Walton welcomed the ■ overview of the Ombudsman, who has the right to inspect the police inquiry files and can order more investigation. One clown, Jacques Monroe. has alleged that the police said a red escort squad member’s admission to batoning a clown would not be used because he was in pain from a leg injury and this would have distorted his memory of the incident. But Mr Walton yesterday said that this was not his statement, and the clown the constable admitted a “justifiable involvement” with could not be identified. The number of constables who could reasonably have been involved had been narrowed down to fewer than 10 from the 2180 police on duty during the third Springbok test at Auckland. All had denied knowledge of the allegations made by the clowns and there was no sign of evasiveness by any particular person. Questioned about the possibility of police members telling lies, Mr Walton said the men responsible for the injuries might not recall it. Mr. Monroe yesterday said the police investigation was a “whitewash.” The probe showed that the clowns had been batoned. But these policemen could not be identified . and no prosecutions could be taken. He said the clowns would take their case to the Chief Ombudsman, Mr G. R. Laking, asking him for another investigation. Earlier, Mr Laking said he could not investigate the incident until the police had first released the report, of their own internal investigation;. -■ “I.desperately want to believe that the police are fair and just, because the alternative fightens the life out of . me. But I do feel that individual police officers are bending over backwards to pervert the course of justice. The police department knows we were batoned, but won’t do anything about it.”

Mr Couch, page 6.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19820302.2.13

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, 2 March 1982, Page 1

Word count
Tapeke kupu
381

Police drop clowns probe Press, 2 March 1982, Page 1

Police drop clowns probe Press, 2 March 1982, Page 1

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