No formal complaint made over rugby sex claim

Published on Friday 4 July 2008 22:18

THE woman at the centre of a sexual assault allegation made against four members of the England rugby union team does not plan on making a formal complaint to the New Zealand police.

In a letter sent to the Rugby Football Union, the woman's solicitors Chapman Tripp also state she is not willing to "deal directly" with the misconduct investigation being undertaken by Twickenham's disciplinary chief judge Jeff Blackett.

The woman fears a formal complaint would "generate extensive and invasive news media, threaten her privacy and personal life and compound the impact on her of the 15 June sexual violations". The unnamed quartet have strongly denied any wrongdoing from the outset.

Without a formal complaint from the alleged victim, the New Zealand police cannot take any action against the four England players.

With the RFU's own internal investigation ongoing, the woman has, for the first time, addressed some of the details relating to the allegation in order to provide "essential context" and to correct "misinformation" in the media.

The Auckland police have alleged an incident occurred in a private room at the team hotel in the early hours of Sunday 15 June after England's first Test defeat to New Zealand. The woman's solicitors allege she was invited back to the Hilton hotel by one member of the England team and then "sexually violated by four members of the team."

The woman states she was referred to police by the medical professionals who treated injuries which occurred in the alleged assault, and not a boyfriend as some reports have claimed. The solicitor's letter also denied reports their client is a lapdancer.

RFU chief executive Francis Baron stated before the squad left New Zealand that they would be pressing the Auckland police to close the case if no formal complaint was made because it was the only way for the players to clear their names.

The independent legal advice, hired for the players by the RFU in New Zealand, was that they decline a police interview on the grounds that no formal complaint had been made.

The players are known to be angry and frustrated at not being able to clear their names.