Rape accused retains supression

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A Tamahere man jointly accused with a woman of raping young women walking alone in central Hamilton was today granted name suppression until Friday.

The 37-year-old man appeared in the Hamilton District Court yesterday charged with three counts of rape and one of unlawful sexual connection.

He also faces an additional charge of doing an indecent act in a public place. The man and a 32-year-old woman initially appeared in court on Saturday after they were arrested at a rural property on Friday.

Judge Robert Spear yesterday declined an application by the man's defence counsel, Nitin Deobhakta, for continued name suppression, ruling the interim order would expire at noon today.

The judge said there were no "proper grounds" for continued name suppression, and remanded the man in custody to reappear in the registrar's court next month.

However, Judge Spear today granted name supression until noon on Friday, pending an appeal by Mr Deobhakta.

A hearing on the appeal would possibly be held today, however a strike staff by court staff made this uncertain.

Mr Deobhakta said an application for electronically monitored bail was filed and an appeal on suppression was possible.

Community Magistrate Susan Hovell earlier granted the female accused bail and interim name suppression.

She is jointly charged with three counts of rape and one of unlawful sexual connection. The charges span six months, dating from last July to January.

The two accused also face cannabis charges. Police allege the pair lured lone, young women into the back of their vehicle before plying them with alcohol and raping them.

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Andy BuBear yesterday said his inquiry team wanted to hear from anyone about similar incidents. A rape counsellor is also urging other women who may have been victims of the couple to come forward.

Kim McGregor, director of Auckland-based group Rape Prevention Education, said hearing and reading about the Hamilton cases would re-traumatise survivors of sexual abuse, who would relate to what these women were going through.

"So it's not just these women who it affects, but the whole community." Dr McGregor said sexual violation affected different people in different ways  "for some it could be a lifetime of trauma".

"The fact that a woman was allegedly involved would have helped the victims to let their guards down even quicker."

- © Fairfax NZ News