25 Oct 2016

Man convicted of indecent assault seeks name supression

2:55 pm on 25 October 2016

A professional who has been convicted of indecent assault is seeking permanent name suppression.

For the moment, he has been allowed to keep both his name and occupation secret.

The man was sentenced in the Auckland District Court last year on two charges of indecent assault with intent to offend.

At a name suppression hearing in the High Court in Auckland today, Justice Heath said he would make a decision once disciplinary proceedings had wrapped up within the next two weeks.

The man's lawyer argued that extreme hardship would be a consequence if his client's name was made public, as he would likely not be allowed to work in his profession in New Zealand.

Justice Heath said that reasoning could possibly justify permanent name suppression.