Louise Nicholas thanks supporters

Louise Nicholas

Louise Nicholas, the woman who took one of the country's top policemen to court on rape and sex charges, has been getting support from throughout the country.

Mrs Nicholas told NZPA through a family spokesman today she was "feeling as anyone would in her situation" the day after a jury of seven woman and five men dismissed her allegations of rape and sexual abuse against assistant police commissioner Clint Rickards and former policemen, Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum.

The three men were acquitted on all 20 charges after a three-week hearing in the High Court at Auckland yesterday.

Mrs Nicholas claimed they had raped her and sexually abused her, once with a police baton, while she was an 18-year-old in Rotorua in 1985 and 1986.

She told the court she could not say no to the men because they were policemen who intimidated her and she was scared of them.

In their own defence the three men said she lied. They said the incident with the baton never happened and although they had had group sex with her, it was consensual and not against her will.

Mrs Nicholas walked smartly from the court in Auckland yesterday, one hand holding her husband Ross's hand, the other clenched in a fist.

She refused to answer questions.

Today a family spokesman issued a brief statement to NZPA.

"She and the Nicholas family just want to thank family and friends for their support and the hundreds and hundreds of ordinary New Zealanders who sent cards and letters of support," the family spokesman said.

Outside the court Rickards told of the "torture" of the last 30 months since the inquiry began but he would not talk about his feelings for Mrs Nicholas.

When asked by NZPA how he felt about her, his lawyer John Haigh, QC, intervened and said it was not appropriate.

Rickards, 45, has been suspended from the police on full pay since the inquiry began but discussions about his future were expected to take some time.

- NZPA