April 2008: New Zealand police officer Mark Tulloch is accused of rape by a woman he met through an Internet dating site. In March 2009, he stands trial at the High Court in Wellington, but after hearing the woman’s evidence, Justice Ron Young stays the proceedings.

According to one contemporaneous report (dated originally April 14, 2009), he said:

“My conclusion is that, taking into account the complainant’s evidence about what happened that night, together with the other evidence available, the complainant’s credibility and reliability was severely undermined.”

This was also not her first false rape allegation; the judge continued:

“On three occasions, at least, the complainant has made a false statement about criminal offending, including an allegation of rape, in circumstances where she has fallen out with or had a serious argument with another person.”

This was little comfort to Tulloch, who in spite of his emphatic acquittal resigned from the police.

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