Friends and former colleagues of Darren Hughes have put pressure on police to decide whether to charge him over sex allegations.
Labour Party figures risked accusations of political interference by calling on police to "give the guy a break".
And close friend Paul Henry said it was "extraordinary" the case was dragging on, more than three months after an 18-year-old student alleged Hughes sexually assaulted him.
Wellington police defended the length of the investigation, saying
it had to be "thorough".
It's now more than three months since the alleged incident at Annette King's house in Wellington. It does seem to be taking the police a long time to make a decision.
A number of Hughes' former colleagues think likewise - read on:
Labour list MP Stuart Nash said the lengthy investigation was unfair on Hughes and the 18-year-old complainant. He called on police to "give the guy a break".
"If there is something there then charge him, but if there's not then let him get on with his life. You can't leave him hanging."
And he said Labour MPs had agreed to stand by Hughes whatever happened. "We all agreed this is what we would do for any friend, give him a bell, make sure he is okay.
"He is still a mate. You don't cast aside your mates."
The assault allegedly took place at Labour deputy leader Annette King's home in the Wellington suburb of Hataitai, where Hughes was living as a boarder.
Former Labour Party president Andrew Little joined calls for a swift resolution.
"It wasn't as if there were people to hunt down, anyone who had anything to say about it would have been interviewed."
Party officials said this week that Labour leader Phil Goff had not given MPs direction on whether they should be in touch with Hughes.
Goff and King are overseas and were unavailable for comment yesterday.
Senior Labour MP Trevor Mallard said he and other members of the caucus had spent time with Hughes since he resigned in March.
"I'm not aware of Phil giving anyone any direction. I see no need. There is always an assumption that when you have a friend or a colleague and they're running into some sort of trouble, you're supportive of them."
We have mixed feelings on this. Loyalty to a mate is a commendable quality. But we wonder if its a good look for politicians to be telling the police how to do their job.
And spare a thought for the complainant. His credibility is on the line as well, and if a decision is ultimately taken not to prosecute Hughes, he will be seen as a boy who cried wolf. No allegations of criminal wrong-doing have been made against him; if a crime was committed, he was the victim of it.
The police are defending their position, and with a complaint of this nature against a public figure, you'd expect a cautious approach. We just hope that these calls from Labour MP's are not an attempt to get the investigating officers to put this matter in the too-hard basket, or to decide that it's "not in the public interest" to proceed. That would indeed be an abuse of power.
6 comments:
Three months is nothing in an investigation of this nature. Police know a thorough case is necessary before charges can be heard in court. Inconvenient for Hughes? Sure it is, but the law comes first I'm afraid. If it goes to court it could be eighteen months to two years before that happens.
An intollerably long time to make visible progress on a matter where the alleged victim, the alleged perpetrator, the alleged swiss ball, the alleged crime scene, the alleged date, the alleged time and the alleged witnesses were all known within minutes if not hours of the alleged incident to the alleged law enforcement authoritys.
I accept that the minister must not be seen to interfere in the day to day actions of plod but I think someone needs a swift kick in the arse to either pull it out or make it work.
Is the mindset that pollies need kid gloves that deeply ingrained at Police HQ.
I think the Labour MP's just forgot that Broad isn't there any more to do their bidding.
Of course Helen is gone as well and I see that Carter is likely to be off to the UN.
They stick together don't they.
The thing that struck me about the attitude of Henry and the Labour Cronies was that not one of them mentioned any support or sympathy for the eighteen year old victim notwithstanding that he was also a dedicated potential Labour politician.
The alleged assault/incident took place in a Ministerial home. Annette King ought to have distanced herself from this filth in March when it first blew. If, as it appears, she doesn't possess enough nous to step down during the investigation, then Goof ought to have forced her to do so weeks and weeks ago. The place where this took place is central to the responsibility that the terminally stupid Labour caucus owes to the NZ constituency.
Cadwallader
I consider it incredible that it has taken so long. The "crime scene" and indeed witness's are small/limited .. is it that the outcome could be explosive especially as the Dep Leader of the opposition has a stake in all this?
The whole things needs sorting .. political interference by Labour is in their DNA
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