Sex unwelcome, soldier tells court martial

The defendant, who has interim name suppression until today, has denied six of 13 charges. Photo / NZPA

A member of the army who has accused a more senior non-commissioned officer of offences against her testified at a court martial yesterday.

The defendant, who has interim name suppression until today, has denied six of 13 charges, including sexual violation, indecent assault and inducing sexual connection by threat.

The alleged incidents took place at Waiouru between September 2011 and May 2012, while the defendant was the instructor for the complainants, who were recruits.

The week-long hearing is before Judge Charles Blackie and five senior Defence Force military members at Linton Military Camp, near Palmerston North. One of the three complainants told the court of incidents where the defendant engineered situations so they would be alone.

Those included sleeping near each other on overnight exercises away from the base.

One occasion after she returned from sentry duty about 4.30am, and once in her sleeping bag, she said the defendant pulled her close and began touching her breasts and genitals as well as pushing her hand down his pants.

During her evidence, the woman sometimes broke down in tears as she described the alleged offences. "He was really forceful and it really hurt - I didn't want it but he wouldn't leave me alone."

She described times when he would call her into a building and have sex with her, once when she was drunk and another time when she was injured. While she did not want to have sex with him, she felt she could not say no because she was afraid of the repercussions that might be meted out against her platoon.

She said he had said to her: "If I'm kept happy, you guys won't be f***ed around tonight."