Australian Broadcasting Corporation
TV PROGRAM TRANSCRIPT
Broadcast: 13/10/2004
Reporter: John Stewart
TONY JONES: There was widespread disgust around the country when details emerged of the pack rapes in south-western Sydney by members of a Lebanese gang.
Key members of the gang were convicted and are now serving long jail terms.
But now the parents of a 14-year-old Sydney girl have alleged she was gang raped by another group of Lebanese youths.
They now want that investigation reopened after learning that a senior policeman involved in the case has a long history of corruption.
The officer is Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock, who has admitted being corrupt for eight years, including tipping off a child pornography suspect and extorting money from criminals.
Laycock's role in the rape investigation was to review the way the case was handled.
No charges were ever laid against the alleged rapists.
Tonight, the New South Wales Police Minister, John Watkins, is under fire for endorsing Laycock's audit of the Burwood investigation, describing it as "full and thorough".
John Stewart reports.
JOHN STEWART: It's been an extraordinary week at the Police Integrity Commission.
Centre stage is Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock.
During the past five days he's admitted to tipping off child pornography suspects in return for cash, plotting a kidnap with a Russian underworld figure, taking thousands of dollars in bribes and agreeing to help a murder suspect influence a jury.
Ian and Sarah are the parents of a 14-year-old girl they claim was raped by a group of Lebanese Muslim youths earlier this year in a car park at a Sydney beach.
IAN, FATHER OF ALLEGED RAPE VICTIM: We believe there could have been as many as seven to nine different people.
And that took place in the Brighton area and it is renowned, renowned.
JOHN STEWART: Today, Ian travelled to the car park where the alleged assault took place.
IAN: As you can see it's a family area, this is where families go.
And it's such a tragic set of events unfold here probably most nights of the week.
The contrast couldn't be -
Look at it.
It's devastating.
JOHN STEWART: The 14-year-old girl wrote a letter to her parents, describing the incident.
SARAH, MOTHER OF ALLEGED RAPE VICTIM: "There were about 60 Lebos there.
And about 30 of them came up to me, and I remember six guys took me to this car.
Then two of them, holding me down on the car - " Hang on, Ian hasn't seen this.
IAN: It's all right.
SARAH: "Then Ali raped me, then three other guys did the same, then locked me in the car and then three other guys came and they got into the car and made me give them head jobs.
Then six came and made me do the same.
Then about 14 guys came to me and got me out of the car and cut me and then ran me down and then ran after me and pushed me on the ground, on the road, and had sex with me, then stopped.
Then they spat on me.
Then they called me an Aussie slut."
JOHN STEWART: The parents reported the alleged rape to Burwood Police, but the local detectives were not convinced the case would lead to a conviction.
SARAH: Every time I rang Burwood Police, every time I turned up to Burwood Police, I was told this is what 13- and 14-year-old girls do.
JOHN STEWART: The parents then wrote a series of letters to government agencies calling for the case to be re-examined.
The case was finally reviewed by none other than Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock, the senior officer based at Burwood Police station, whose job it was to handle all complaints about police.
Detective Laycock concluded there was: "No adverse finding in respect to officers attached to the Burwood local area command."
JOHN STEWART: Ian and Sarah also received a letter from the NSW Police Minister, John Watkins, on August 10, stating: "I understand that Detective Sergeant Chris Laycock conducted a full and thorough investigation into your complaint about the manner in which Burwood Police responded to your daughter's situation."
JOHN STEWART: When the Police Minister wrote to the family in August, endorsing Detective Laycock's investigation of their case, Laycock had already been under surveillance by anti-corruption officers for months.
The family now want a formal apology from the Minister and the case re-opened.
IAN: You, Minister, yourself, have said, he did a thorough job.
Well, he didn't do a thorough job, and this family expects you to stand up.
And if you can't stand up, we expect you to stand down.
JOHN BROGDEN, OPPOSITION LEADER: It's a demonstration of absolute incompetence by the Police Minister, John Watkins.
We have a very serious case here that I think deserves a proper and thorough re-investigation, not by a police officer who's under investigation by the Police Integrity Commission for severe corruption.
JOHN STEWART: A spokeswoman for the Police Minister says: "The Minister is sorry if the matter before the Police Integrity Commission has caused the family any further distress.
He is re-examining the issue they raised in the letter to him."
JOHN STEWART: Detective Chris Laycock will appear at the Police Integrity Commission tomorrow, to face further corruption charges.
John Stewart, Lateline.
Additional Reading ABC World Today: Laycock under scrutiny at NSW Police Integrity Commission
