Ex-policeman on trial for rape

A jury of seven women and five men has been selected in the trial of a former policeman charged with rape.

The former officer who has name suppression is accused of raping a Far North woman in 1988.

Judge Lance told the potential jurors he realises there has been a lot of media coverage of police conduct in the eighties and if they feel they cannot be impartial they should discharge themselves from the jury.

They have also been told by the judge to forget anything they may have heard about the case in the media and have been told not to do any research as they need to focus on the evidence specific to this case.

The accused man faces a total of eight charges including rape, assault and unlawful sexual connection, referring back to an alleged incident in the Far North in 1988.

A police investigation was reopened in 2004.

The Crown was due to open its case this afternoon.

- NEWSTALK ZB