Louise Nicholas has been outspoken in advocating for victim rights in New Zealand.

Victims' advocate Louise Nicholas is caught up in an investigation by the police watchdog following complaints about the support role she plays in sex abuse inquiries.

The Rotorua woman rose to national attention after she went public in 2004 with the story of how she was raped by three police officers in the 1980s. Since then she has been outspoken in advocating for victim rights.

Nicholas is contracted to provide liaison with survivors of sex offending by staff from public agencies including Police and the Defence Force, and also works alongside police in a training role. But now, some women feel she has become too close to the agencies that she is supposed to keep watch on.

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Rape victim 'Dana' is critical of the role played by Louise Nicholas in sex abuse cases.

Nicholas works as national sexual violence survivor advocate; a role that began with Rape Prevention Education, and has continued with Skylight – a charitable trust providing specialised grief support.

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She has supported dozens of victims as they deal with police and media, including high-profile cases such as Tania Billingsley, the Wellington woman sexually assaulted by a Malaysian diplomat.

KEVIN STENT/STUFF Louise Nicholas, left, poses with Detective Inspector Tusha Penny, Police National Manager of Child Protection and Sexual Violence.

One alleged victim told the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) she felt police were using Nicholas to "manipulate" her, and was concerned Nicholas had been briefed on the case without her consent.

Similar concerns have been raised in a separate complaint to the police commissioner.

It was Nicholas' campaigning that led to the Bazley report in 2007, which highlighted systemic failures in how police dealt with sex abuse complaints. Earlier this year, she congratulated police on making significant changes in response to the report.

WANE DROUGHT/NZPA Louise Nicholas, centre, leaves the High Court at Auckland in 2006 after a trial for three officers accused of raping her.

But a second woman said she did not feel Nicholas could effectively represent her as an advocate because of her relationship with police, while a third said Nicholas had overstated the extent of their relationship.

"ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS"

Nicholas said she had a good relationship with the first alleged victim, who sparked a criminal investigation earlier this year after reporting she had been sexually abused by a senior Northland officer.

SUPPLIED Shannon Parker is president of the NZ Police Conduct Association, a public watchdog that monitors police behaviour.

The allegations made to the IPCA were "absolutely ridiculous".

"She knows that if she needs me, I'm only a text or email away," Nicholas said. "We have great conversations."

That's disputed by the woman, who first raised concerns with police in April about the extent to which Nicholas was involved.

DAVID WHITE/STUFF Advocate Louise Nicholas is awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit at Government House in Wellington.

In an emailed reply on April 10, Superintendent Anna Jackson acknowledged her questions "around why Louise appears to know more than you do about your case".

"Occasionally police ask her to assist because she has a great understanding of police investigation processes," wrote Jackson, who is the national manager for police professional conduct. "It is possible that [the detective inspector] may have told Louise more so that she can explain it to you."

'I'M BEING MANIPULATED'

MONIQUE FORD/STUFF Louise Nicholas speaks on behalf of Tania Billingsley outside the High Court at Wellington in 2016.

On November 24, the first woman received an email from the detective inspector leading the case in which he advised "I have asked Louise to talk to you about communication going forward".

Detectives had been embarrassed the previous week by revelations they had failed to contact another alleged victim of the same officer for five months.

The woman claimed that in a subsequent phone call with Nicholas, she was pressured to drop her current support person and switch to Nicholas instead. "I feel caught and confused," she said. "I am happy to hear from Louise … but I feel like I'm being manipulated."

ROBERT KITCHIN/STUFF Rape complainants speak of re-victimisation and bungling investigations into their rape complaints.

The woman has been supported by Shannon Parker of the New Zealand Police Conduct Association (NZPCA), a police monitoring group.

It was Parker who laid the complaint with police commissioner Mike Bush. She alleged the detective inspector had given Nicholas details of two victims' complaints, "as well as up-to-date details of the police investigations".

Nicholas denied police had briefed her on the investigation.

STUFF Detective superintendent Chris Page says Louise Nicholas does a "tremendous" job supporting victims.

Detective superintendent Chris Page said Nicholas "was only provided with high-level information to enable this contact, not specifics relating to the case".

It's understood police have since contacted the second woman mentioned in Parker's complaint to ask if she consented to Nicholas being briefed.

'I DON'T WORK FOR POLICE'

WARWICK SMITH/STUFF Louise Nicholas shares her story as part of a seminar promoting understanding around victims of sexual violence.

The first woman at the centre of the investigation said the actions of Nicholas made her uncomfortable.

"Louise in my opinion is nothing more than a puppet for police work and I will not be using her as my advocate," she said.

Other women have also come forward with concerns regarding Nicholas.

JANE USSHER/STUFF Rape Prevention Education says Louise Nicholas is a "tireless" advocate for sexual violence survivors, Detective superintendent Chris Page says.

In April, a rape victim identified only as Dana said she felt Nicholas could not effectively represent her as an advocate because she was too close to those investigating.

"Personally she's a lovely person, but I said it felt like she worked for police," Dana said. "She vehemently denied that."

A number of alleged sex victims also said Nicholas had discouraged them from speaking to media about their experiences.

Earlier this year Nicholas called a journalist multiple times within the space of 45 minutes, unprompted, in an attempt to block the publication of an inquiry into Defence Force sexual assault and harassment. Nicholas claimed it would ruin the lives of victims, and abruptly hung up when advised the story would proceed.

Nicholas acknowledged she was asked "all the time" whether she worked for police.

"I say 'no, I don't work for police, I work alongside police', which is completely different," she said. "I don't get paid by police."

Her role is funded via the Ministry of Justice and ACC, however Page explained she "trains and advises the NZ Police on a national basis through her role".

"Ms Nicholas works tirelessly in this role and does a tremendous job providing much-needed support and assistance to sexual violence victims," Page said.

Debbi Tohill, executive director of Rape Prevention Education, said Nicholas' work meant

"victims can now much more confidently approach police if they wish to press charges."

The women who raised concerns cannot be identified due to automatic name suppressions for sex abuse victims.