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Review of Bulldogs rape case
By Neil Mercer
February 18, 2007 12:00
Article from: The Sunday Telegraph
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THREE years after rape allegations shattered the Bulldogs, a detective has written a book exposing rifts in the investigation team that dogged the case.
The 100,000 word manuscript, by former detective senior sergeant Gary McEvoy, gives for the first time a detailed behind-the-scenes view of the investigation, police infighting and the extraordinary number of leaks to the media.
The case took a huge toll on police involved - nine of the 10 detectives in the Coffs Harbour office in 2004 are no longer there.
Some, like McEvoy, who is now mowing lawns for a living, have been discharged medically unfit. Others are awaiting discharge or are on long-term sick leave.
McEvoy told The Sunday Telegraph he wrote the day-by-day account to refute suggestions the inquiry was flawed.
It mounts a convincing case that Bulldogs players were falsely accused of sexual assault.
He told The Sunday Telegraph that initially officers had little doubt about the version of events given by the then 20-year-old woman who said she had been gang raped by six or seven players.
The woman told police on Sunday, February 22, 2004, the assault had happened about 6.30am that day in the pool of the Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour.
But some detectives soon questioned her story after it was contradicted by independent eyewitnesses. At the end of the inquiry, some even wanted her charged with making false allegations.
But McEvoy says Detective Chief Inspector Jason Breton, the Coffs Harbour crime manager, and the public face of the inquiry, vetoed the idea.
McEvoy reveals how investigators were shocked at the beginning of the case when 2GB's Ray Hadley read out the woman's graphic allegations.
They had been recorded on the NSW Police COPS computer system and then leaked.
McEvoy says in his manuscript, which he is hoping to get published: "The problem was the (COPS) report was based on untested allegations. Who knows, they could all be lies.''
He also believes that senior police in Sydney were apparently influenced by the media frenzy that accompanied the case.
On February 25, 2004, the head of forensic services, Superintendent Phil Flogel, had made contact.
McEvoy says Flogel explained "the allegations were 'red hot' news in Sydney and he had been advised to provide all assistance possible to us to clear the matter as quickly as possible''.
McEvoy says: "I was later told that many serious cases which had been waiting for some time ... were temporarily put to one side.
"This demonstrates the role of the media in setting police priorities. The sex allegations were of a high priority but I question whether a homicide investigation should be pushed to one side for the benefit of our case.''
According to McEvoy, who spent 23 years in the NSW Police, "troubling signs'' about the veracity of the woman's story emerged within three days.
"We were getting good evidence of an incident of consensual sex but not of a pack rape.
"In fact, we were getting nothing to suggest any crime had occurred at all.''
McEvoy says the woman's girlfriend had not backed her claims. The friend had been with one of the players in the resort that night. He says she was "far from supportive of the alleged victim.
"No specific reasons were given - but she appeared to hold some doubt over the victim's allegations.''
In addition, the alleged victim changed her story several times in the course of making several official statements.
McEvoy says such were the conflicts, police at one stage thought there must have been two incidents, one consensual and one rape. But the evidence did not stack up.
He says Insp Breton was told early on "that there were serious concerns about the authenticity of the allegations''.
"Despite the early warning signs, his aggressive media strategy continued unabated.''
As to the woman's motive for possibly making up the story, he says she had been insulted by one player some hours earlier.
She was again insulted just minutes after the alleged attack, with another player allegedly saying, "what the f*** are you doing here. I thought we got rid of you.''
McEvoy says Detective Leading Senior Constable Glen Pearce was second in charge of the investigation.
"Glen felt the victim had made a false report,'' he says.
"He also believed there was sufficient evidence to at least investigate her for 'make false allegation' or public mischief.''
McEvoy says that Pearce, who has also left the police force, put in a report stating, in part: "... I am concerned that politics and the media are playing a dominant role in police decision-making ...''
McEvoy says the police media unit arranged a photo of the Coffs Harbour detectives arriving in Sydney even though some of the officers were unhappy about being photographed.
Once, a briefing minute was prepared for the office of the deputy commissioner. It was faxed to the deputy and the northern region office.
"Within the hour, material contained within that document was in the hands of certain members of the media.''
He said he had asked senior police to stand up and say publicly the investigation was sound and demonstrably so. But none had supported the front-line officers.
By Neil Mercer
February 18, 2007 12:00
Article from: The Sunday Telegraph
Send this article: Print Email
THREE years after rape allegations shattered the Bulldogs, a detective has written a book exposing rifts in the investigation team that dogged the case.
The 100,000 word manuscript, by former detective senior sergeant Gary McEvoy, gives for the first time a detailed behind-the-scenes view of the investigation, police infighting and the extraordinary number of leaks to the media.
The case took a huge toll on police involved - nine of the 10 detectives in the Coffs Harbour office in 2004 are no longer there.
Some, like McEvoy, who is now mowing lawns for a living, have been discharged medically unfit. Others are awaiting discharge or are on long-term sick leave.
McEvoy told The Sunday Telegraph he wrote the day-by-day account to refute suggestions the inquiry was flawed.
It mounts a convincing case that Bulldogs players were falsely accused of sexual assault.
He told The Sunday Telegraph that initially officers had little doubt about the version of events given by the then 20-year-old woman who said she had been gang raped by six or seven players.
The woman told police on Sunday, February 22, 2004, the assault had happened about 6.30am that day in the pool of the Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour.
But some detectives soon questioned her story after it was contradicted by independent eyewitnesses. At the end of the inquiry, some even wanted her charged with making false allegations.
But McEvoy says Detective Chief Inspector Jason Breton, the Coffs Harbour crime manager, and the public face of the inquiry, vetoed the idea.
McEvoy reveals how investigators were shocked at the beginning of the case when 2GB's Ray Hadley read out the woman's graphic allegations.
They had been recorded on the NSW Police COPS computer system and then leaked.
McEvoy says in his manuscript, which he is hoping to get published: "The problem was the (COPS) report was based on untested allegations. Who knows, they could all be lies.''
He also believes that senior police in Sydney were apparently influenced by the media frenzy that accompanied the case.
On February 25, 2004, the head of forensic services, Superintendent Phil Flogel, had made contact.
McEvoy says Flogel explained "the allegations were 'red hot' news in Sydney and he had been advised to provide all assistance possible to us to clear the matter as quickly as possible''.
McEvoy says: "I was later told that many serious cases which had been waiting for some time ... were temporarily put to one side.
"This demonstrates the role of the media in setting police priorities. The sex allegations were of a high priority but I question whether a homicide investigation should be pushed to one side for the benefit of our case.''
According to McEvoy, who spent 23 years in the NSW Police, "troubling signs'' about the veracity of the woman's story emerged within three days.
"We were getting good evidence of an incident of consensual sex but not of a pack rape.
"In fact, we were getting nothing to suggest any crime had occurred at all.''
McEvoy says the woman's girlfriend had not backed her claims. The friend had been with one of the players in the resort that night. He says she was "far from supportive of the alleged victim.
"No specific reasons were given - but she appeared to hold some doubt over the victim's allegations.''
In addition, the alleged victim changed her story several times in the course of making several official statements.
McEvoy says such were the conflicts, police at one stage thought there must have been two incidents, one consensual and one rape. But the evidence did not stack up.
He says Insp Breton was told early on "that there were serious concerns about the authenticity of the allegations''.
"Despite the early warning signs, his aggressive media strategy continued unabated.''
As to the woman's motive for possibly making up the story, he says she had been insulted by one player some hours earlier.
She was again insulted just minutes after the alleged attack, with another player allegedly saying, "what the f*** are you doing here. I thought we got rid of you.''
McEvoy says Detective Leading Senior Constable Glen Pearce was second in charge of the investigation.
"Glen felt the victim had made a false report,'' he says.
"He also believed there was sufficient evidence to at least investigate her for 'make false allegation' or public mischief.''
McEvoy says that Pearce, who has also left the police force, put in a report stating, in part: "... I am concerned that politics and the media are playing a dominant role in police decision-making ...''
McEvoy says the police media unit arranged a photo of the Coffs Harbour detectives arriving in Sydney even though some of the officers were unhappy about being photographed.
Once, a briefing minute was prepared for the office of the deputy commissioner. It was faxed to the deputy and the northern region office.
"Within the hour, material contained within that document was in the hands of certain members of the media.''
He said he had asked senior police to stand up and say publicly the investigation was sound and demonstrably so. But none had supported the front-line officers.
