Attempted rape of young girl denied

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 4

Attempted rape of young girl denied

A man, acting as a father to a girl aged 12, had attempted to rape her and had forced her to perform an indecent act oh him, Mr Justice White and a jury were told in the High Court yesterday. The trial of Terry Kumi Hemi, aged 38, unemployed, on two charges of indecency will finish today. Mr G. K. Panckhurst appears for the Crown and Mrs P. D. Gibson appears for Hemi who has denied both counts. Opening his case, Mr Panckhurst said that the girl was one of four children of a woman who, in November last year was separated from her husband. For several months last year Hemi lived in a de facto relationship with the girl’s mother in Upper Riccarton. On November 2 the girl’s mother went to Palmerston North to discuss domestic matters with her husband.

The girl went to live with an uncle and Hemi lived at both the house in Upper Riccarton and at his mother’s residence. After speaking to the girl’s mother on the telephone on the week-end before she was due to return to Christchurch, Hemi took the girl from the house where she was staying to her home in Upper Riccarton to help him clean the dwelling. In the evening the two had a takeaway meal, watched television and played a card game before Hemi instructed the girl that she was to sleep on the couch which could be converted into a bed in the lounge instead of her bed upstairs. Hemi got undressed and joined her in the bed and in spite of the girl’s protests and tears he took her hand and induced her to perform an indecent act on him. She was very upset and was

sobbing. Hemi then attempted to have sexual intercourse with the girl but it was not known if the act was pleted. Fortunately nothing further happened that night and next morning the girl was returned to her uncle’s home. Hemi warned her that if she told anyone of what had happened she would get a hiding and if she informed her mother she would get a beating as well. When the mother returned to Christchurch the family lived in the house at Upper Riccarton for a time before moving to Palmerston North. Hemi remained in Christchurch. It was not until Christmas that the girl told a person, whom she regarded as an aunt, of what Hemi had done to her in Christchurch. Her mother was not told of the matter until March and a police investigation was

started. Hemi could not be located and it was not until May that he was interviewed by Detective Philip Matthew Deazley. Hemi denied that there had been any sexual activity between himself and the girl and he s|id that the child was lying. Before making a statement Hemi insisted that his solicitor be present and told the detective that the girl had slept in her own room and not in the lounge, Mr Panckhurst said. Detective Deazley said that Hemi had denied touching the girl when he saw him on May 9. He said that he had given a fake name to another policeman as a joke. At Hemi’s insistance Mrs Gibson was summoned to the police station before the interview continued. Hemi denied that he had raped the girl, had sexual intercourse with her or had made her perform an indecent act on him.