Air Force sex predator continues to brutalise servicewoman, from behind bars

Saturday, 17 November 2018

The Recruit: Until now, she was a nameless airwoman seeking accountability for years of abuse in the Air Force. Now, Mariya Taylor speaks out.

She was locked in a cage and sexually assaulted. Now the Defence Force and the officer who attacked her are demanding $200,000 legal costs.

An Air Force servicewoman is waiving her court-imposed anonymity to tell of her terrifying sex attack ordeal at the hands of an officer.

But she is paying the price: she is asking for public help as the NZ Defence Force and her attacker demand $200,000 in legal costs before letting her take her compensation case to the Court of Appeal.

Working as a driver at Whenuapai air base, Mariya Taylor was repeatedly assaulted by Sergeant Robert Roper.

As 'M', the woman gave evidence in the High Court this year. As Mariya Taylor, she speaks out in the Sunday Star-Times today about her dismay that convicted sex predator Robert Roper is demanding $57,000 from her. The Court has even asked for a guarantee over her family home, to ensure she can cover the costs.

* 'What happened at Whenuapai should never be repeated'

Operation Respect head Lieutenant-Colonel Karl Cummins says the Defence Force has changed sufficiently that he would now be happy for his own children to join, confident they would be safe from harassment.

* Air Force employee 'paid back' for defending women

* Abuse survivors: 'Old school' military won't change

Defence Minister Ron Mark, centre, warns he will be closely watching the NZ Defence Force's progress in combating sexual harassment and abuse.

* #MeTooNZ: The investigations**

Former air force sergeant Robert Roper is claiming $57,000 worth of costs after a woman who he abused sued him.

This comes as Official Information Act requests reveal the numbers of military personnel investigated for criminal sexual offending are high – and rising.

In the first four months of this year alone, the Defence Force received reports of 32 offences, including film and publication offences, indecent acts, indecent assaults and sexual violations. That's an increase on the 25 incidents investigated in 2016, and 31 in 2017. They acknowledge the real figures are likely to be far higher.

Lieutenant-Colonel Karl Cummins, who leads the Defence Force's Respect operation to crack down on sexual harassment, said any behaviour or action that gave rise to a well-founded allegation was investigated – but they still needed to improve. 'We can be better, we know we can.'

The Defence Force would not say whether it would continue to pursue Mariya Taylor for costs. But Cummins said they were making progress in dealing with abuse: 12,000 personnel had completed three-hour sexual ethics and responsible relations workshops.

The Complaint: Mariya Taylor says she complained repeatedly of the sexual assaults by Sergeant Robert Roper – but the Defence Force swept them under the carpet (video first published November 2018).

He insisted recruits were in less danger of harassment than they were when Taylor served: 'I don't have daughters but I've got two sons. Would I be confident of my children joining this organisation? Yes I would, because I know the efforts and the lengths this organisation is going to make the organisation safer across the board for people.

'We put our hand up, we said we've got a problem with this, we said we're going to work to solve it and I would want my sons to be part of an organisation that is honest about that stuff.'

Defence Minister Ron Mark warned the military he would be following progress closely. He expected more offences to be reported because of growing awareness fostered through Operation Respect, but he remained concerned at any report of sexual harassment or assault. 'What is important is that these incidents do actually reduce and that the NZDF becomes a safer place to work.,' he told Stuff.

The Defence Force too often accepted inappropriate attitudes towards women: 'There has been considerable work to change this,' Mark said. 'It is my expectation that progress must continue.'

The latest victim to come forward, 51-year-old Mariya Taylor, suffered three years of sexual harassment by Air Force Sergeant Robert Roper when she was based at the Whenuapai base in the 1980s. The attacks, in which she was locked in a cage, eventually drove her from the armed services, and from New Zealand.

Mariya Taylor as a young airwoman, serving at Whenuapai Air Force base. Working as a driver, she was assaulted by Sergeant Robert Roper, also convicted of raping his daughters and other girls.

She went to police after seeing the news in 2014 that Roper had been convicted for raping his two daughters, Karina Andrews and Tracey Thompson, and Cherie Ham. All three women asked for their name suppression to be lifted so they could speak out for change.

After initially making a police complaint Taylor decided to sue the Defence Force and Roper for compensation, stating the Air Force failed to provide her with a safe place to work.

She was unsuccessful in her compensation bid: This year, Justice Rebecca Edwards found the claims of abuse and harassment by Roper were proven, but Taylor had left it too late to take the matter to court. Now, Taylor is headed to the Court of Appeal – and friends have set up a Givealittle crowdfunding page to help her cover her mounting legal costs.

The Report and the Trial: High Court says Air Force Sergeant Robert Roper groped Mariya Taylor then locked her in a tyre cage and assaulted her.

If she loses, she could be liable for more than $200,000 – including being required to pay $57,000 costs to Roper, who is serving a 13-year prison sentence for raping his daughters and three other girls on the Air Force base. Taylor and her family have had to provide undertakings that they would not sell their property, or put another mortgage on it, so it was available as security.

Taylor now fears they are going to lose their home, with court costs rising and funds running low.

She found it hard to believe Defence Force claims that they have changed. She said the Defence Force made no meaningful attempt to settle with her, and she hadn't even received an apology.

'They've fought me tooth and nail for the last four years, I felt like an absolute criminal in court being questioned when they knew the answers.

'Since the trial found him guilty of doing the things he did to me and the QC inquiry did, I haven't even received an apology from them.

'I've received nothing.'

CROWDFUNDING TO HELP PAY LEGAL FEES

Talia Canvin and Mariya Taylor first met on a parenting group chat website. Canvin says Taylor's friendship – online and then in person when Canvin and her family moved to Queensland from New Zealand – has inspired her to set up a Givealittle page for Taylor as she tries to find a way pay her legal bills.

'Mariya helped us settle in here and she has always had time for a chat when I needed support. When she eventually told me about what she went through I felt so awful for her – sick to my stomach', Canvin says.

'Mariya deserves so much more respect than the New Zealand Defence Force has shown her. No-one should have to go through something like that, and then to have it hidden away so deep inside that you never know when it's going to show up.'

Canvin says she accepts that the target – $95,000 – is a steep one with no guarantees, and that they will be relying on the generosity of ordinary Kiwis.

'But I really wanted to help in some way, so I thought that starting a page may just ease the burden a bit.'