A member of the army who has accused a more senior non-commissioned officer of sexual offences against her has given emotional evidence at a Court Martial today.
The defendant, who has interim name suppression until tomorrow afternoon, has denied six of 13 charges, including sexual violation, indecent assault and inducing sexual connection by threat.
The alleged incidents all took place at Waiouru between September 2011 and May 2012 while the defendant was the instructor for the complainants, who were new recruits.
The week-long hearing is taking place before Judge Charles Blackie and five senior Defence Force military members at Linton Military Camp near Palmerston North.
One of the three complainants, who cannot be named, has told the court of incidents where the defendant engineered situations where they would be alone.
Those included sleeping near each other on overnight exercises away from the base.
One occasion after she returned from sentry duty about 4.30am, and once in her sleeping bag, she said the defendant pulled her close and began touching her breasts and genitals as well as pushing her hand down his pants.
During her evidence the woman sometimes broke down in tears as she described the alleged offences.
"He was really forceful and it really hurt - I didn't want it but he wouldn't leave me alone."
She also described times where he would call her into a building and have sex with her, once when she was drunk and another time when she was injured.
While she did not want to have sex with him, she felt she could not say no because she was afraid of the repercussions that might be meted out against her platoon.
She said he had said to her: "If I'm kept happy you guys won't be f***ed around tonight."
In another incident the woman was supposed to be partnered with another soldier, but they were split up and the defendant took his place in a pit area.
"He said, 'we can do this the easy way or we can be out here all night'."
He then dropped his pants and the woman said she gave him oral sex.
"Once again I was scared of what could happen. [I thought] if I don't do what I'm told we're going to be out here all night."
She said she told nobody because she did not think she would be believed.
The woman said on another night when they were camping away from the base, she was woken by the defendant forcing her to give him oral sex.
Earlier today the defendant pleaded guilty to six charges relating to doing an act likely to prejudice service discipline regarding consensual sexual contact with two of his recruits.
There was no plea entered against an alternative charge to one of the sexual violation charges, which would be dealt with later in the hearing.
The Court Martial was adjourned early in the afternoon for the day while legal arguments were being heard.
The hearing was expected to last until Friday.
- NZME.
By Rebecca Quilliam of NZME. News Service
