NEW ZEALAND
Stuff
11 June 2005
By MIKE HOULAHAN
When former Christian Heritage Party leader Graham Capill was decrying moral standards in society, he was also sexually abusing young girls, fresh charges against him allege.
Yesterday at a brief appearance in the Christchurch District Court he faced new sex charges alleging repeated offending against two girls younger than 12 between 1990 and 1999. The new charges accuse the former police prosecutor of rape, unlawful sexual connection, attempted rape and indecent assault.
In April, Capill pleaded guilty to fondling a girl's genitals while she was in bed in 2002. The sentencing has been postponed until June 28.
Flanked by two burly policemen, Capill appeared in a courtroom yesterday packed with onlookers and media. The heavy protection was to prevent a repeat of an incident at a previous court appearance when he was punched in the jaw outside the court by a former boxer who is now serving a jail term for the assault.
At the time covered by the new charges, Capill was a pastor at the Reform Church in Dunedin and a political leader under the Christian Heritage Party banner.
Posted by kshaw at June 10, 2005 04:05 PM