Couple accused of indecent acts, giving drug to teen, on trial in Auckland court

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

A couple accused of giving drugs to a teen and performing indecent acts on her allegedly told her “sex doesn’t mean anything”, the victim’s police interview from the time has revealed.

The pair are on trial this week at the Auckland District Court on three charges of committing an indecent act on a young person, and two of supplying a Class B controlled drug for crimes that allegedly occurred more than a decade ago.

As well as this, the man is facing a charge of sexual connection with a young person, which is an alternative charge for one of the indecent act charges, and an additional drug supply charge.

They both have interim name suppression.

During opening arguments, Crown prosecutor Jessica Ah Koy said the victim first took what was described to her as a pain killer because she was allegedly told it would help with an injury she had.

On two later occasions, she argued the victim was given the pills and sexually abused.

Jo Scott, the defence counsel for the woman, made a blanket denial on behalf of her client.

The man’s lawyer, Simon Shamy, gave no opening statement.

On the first occasion, the Crown alleged the victim was given MDMA at a sports event, and the other two at the pair’s home.

“They told me if I wanted to get anywhere in [her sport] I would have to sleep with the right people,” the victim said in her police interview.

The woman, who is now an adult, said in the footage on the second occasion she took the drug at their home and took a shower because she was sweaty.

When she walked out again, she said they had lit coloured candles and started suggesting “weird things” to her, including “threesomes” and saying they had a special connection with her.

“It’s just sex, sex doesn’t mean anything,” she alleged the pair said, to which she responded that she had a boyfriend.

While she was wearing only a towel, she said the man massaged her as the woman lay alongside her.

On the next occasion, the teen was at their house again and although she really didn’t want to take the pill, they were “pushing for it”, she said to the police interviewer.

Later she claimed he told her taking the drug would “completely cure” her shoulder and on the third and final occasion the victim said she took three and a half pills.

That night she said both she and the woman had a bath together and he sat on the toilet with the lid down.

After this, she said he massaged her breasts, pelvic area and put his penis in between her upper thighs.

“I was too drugged to do anything for myself.”

The trial continues tomorrow.

Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.