No complaint from alleged rugby sexual assault victim

By Greg Stutchbury

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - The victim of an alleged sexual assault by four members of the England rugby team in New Zealand will not be making a formal complaint to police, her lawyers said on Friday.

The England team’s tour of New Zealand last month was marred when Auckland police said they were investigating allegations of a sexual assault by players after the first test at Eden Park.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has launched its own inquiry into the allegations.

Lawyers acting for the victim said in a letter to the RFU that she would not participate in its inquiry or make a formal complaint to New Zealand police.

The letter written by Jack Hodder, a partner in leading New Zealand law firm Chapman Tripp, to the RFU’s disciplinary officer Judge Jeff Blackett, was released to New Zealand media on Friday.

"We can advise that the victim remains of the view that she will not make a formal complaint to the New Zealand Police," Hodder wrote.

"As you will appreciate she anticipates the course would generate extensive and invasive new media, threaten her privacy and personal life and compound the impact on her of the June 15 sexual violations."

INVITED BACK

Hodder wrote the victim said she was invited back to the team’s Auckland hotel by a member of the squad, where .....continued below

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"The violations caused such injuries such that the medical professionals treating her referred her to the police.

"There is no truth in reported speculations...that she is a lap dancer or that her dealings with the medical professionals or the police were prompted by a ’boyfriend’."

The allegations created a media furore with four squad members named as the players involved.

A New Zealand woman who spent the night with one of the players, but is not the alleged victim, also sold her story to a tabloid.

Hodder said the victim did not know the woman.

The victim refused to make a complaint while the team was in New Zealand and the players, under legal advice, declined to be interviewed by police until a complaint was made.

Hodder said the victim would not be making any further public comment, nor would she deal directly with the inquiry.

"We recognise that this will not make easier your task of investigating and reporting on this serious misconduct," Hodder said.

"We understand from the New Zealand Police that neither your investigation nor the RFU have been in communication with them on this matter.

"We infer from this that you may not seek information from New Zealand sources.

"However, should you have some specific points requiring clarification, we would seek instructions on those."

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Ed Osmond)