The Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of a woman who had been found guilty of being a party to a sex attack on another woman. In 2005, Lynnette Stewart was convicted in the Wellington District Court of being a party to a sexual violation which was alleged to have been carried out by her partner, Kristina Oliver, Radio New Zealand reports. The women had invited the complainant over for a meal, after which she alleged Oliver violated her. The Court of Appeal overturned Oliver's conviction, after a medical specialist gave evidence that the complainant's injuries were inconsistent with what she said had occurred. The charges were dismissed when the Crown offered no evidence at her retrial. The Supreme Court has now ruled that it would be a substantial miscarriage of justice to allow Stewart's conviction to stand. "There was a reasonable doubt that it took place at all," Justice Peter Blanchard said, the Dominion Post reports.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 2nd June 2011 - 2:26pm