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DPP to decide Bulldogs' charges by week's end
By Eamonn Duff
April 25, 2004
The Sun-Herald
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The wait is all but over for the Canterbury Bulldogs, with an announcement expected this week about the recent gang rape allegations.
A spokesman for the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery, said: "What I can confirm is that his advice will be handed back to the police in due course. It is anticipated that will definitely be done by the end of the week."
By Saturday, Mr Cowdery will tell police whether there is sufficient evidence for criminal charges to be laid against six players who allegedly sexually assaulted a 20-year-old Coffs Harbour woman.
Controversy has surrounded the Canterbury Bulldogs since February 22 when the woman told police she was assaulted at the Pacific Bay Resort at Coffs Harbour.
Twenty four players were questioned by Strike Force McGuigon detectives, who also took DNA samples.
The negative publicity that flowed from the scandal later cost chief executive Steve Mortimer and football manager Garry Hughes their jobs.
While everyone associated with the embattled rugby league club is hoping for a positive outcome, the DPP spokesman warned that if there was sufficient evidence against the players, arrests could be immediate.
"If it is decided there is enough evidence to proceed, police will charge and police will arrest," he said.
'Those affected will then appear before a magistrate, they'll no doubt apply for bail, which will either be given or not given.
"The point I'm making is the sequence of events will be no different just because they are footie players."
However, Bulldogs chief executive Malcolm Noad is confident the case will be dropped.
"When I came to this club, I came with very objective views," he said. "I'd heard the rumours and, I'll be totally honest, I expected to find something vastly different to what I've now found.
"The police and the DPP continue to keep everything close to their chest. I've heard it could be Tuesday, I've heard it could be Friday. But based on the evidence we have gathered, which includes numerous witness statements from the same witnesses the police interviewed, it all points to the fact that there was certainly no rape.
"Neither was there even consensual group sex. It simply didn't happen."
Mr Noad said: "I think, to be honest, certain things did happen on the night which shouldn't have happened. But at the same time, I also have tremendous sympathy for the players who have been to hell and back."
Mr Noad also revealed the scandal had cost the club $1.3 million in sponsorship. "We lost Bing Lee who were on the verge of signing. We also lost BlueScope [Steel], who were going to be our shorts' sponsors, and then there were several other companies who were on the verge of upgrading contracts. Emotionally, of course, the club is still suffering."
Mr Noad said that if the case was dropped this week, the Bulldogs might well bite back with legal action of their own.
"We'll be reviewing everything once the dust settles."
He would also be "interested" to see if the woman who made the claims attempted to profit from the story.
For now, she remains silent.
Hiding at her parents' house this week, she stepped out only briefly during the day to greet and farewell visiting relatives.
On Friday, when news broke that a mystery woman had allegedly contacted the Bulldogs requesting $25,000 in return for the matter being dropped, some family members finally snapped.
Venting anger at members of the media, one relative abused a journalist before warning: "I know who you are, you better watch yourself."
What happens next
If the DPP recommends police charge the Bulldogs with gang rape they will be arrested and have to appear at the Coffs Harbour Local Court to apply for bail. It is expected the accused would then appear next at a Sydney court.
Any players found guilty of gang rape face jail terms of between 20 years and life under laws changed after the infamous series of gang rape cases in Sydney in 2000.
If the DPP advises the charges not proceed, the woman at the centre of the allegations may pursue the matter through the civil courts and sue the club for damages.
