South Australia Police (SAPOL) decided to regard an innocent visitor to a public gathering of a church as a trespasser, rather than as a victim of evidenced physical assault by the church leaders.

(https://www.police.sa.gov.au)

On Monday, December 1, 2014 at 19:20 at Torsten’s place of temporary residence in central Adelaide of South Australia, a representative of the South Australia Police (SAPOL) approached Torsten to inform about a decision taken by SAPOL. Torsten had on the preceding Tuesday (Nov.25, 2014) visited a police station in Adelaide to report a crime of physical assault committed by a local church in Adelaide (http://www.kyrkor.be/Adelaide-Christian-Centre-Sturt-Street.htm).

South Australia Police, on December 1, 2014, through Constable Taylor (ID number: 73130), forwarded the SAPOL official statement regarding Torsten’s reported crime and regarding the SAPOL investigation. Among many other sentences, the South Australia Police constable said two key phrases to Torsten, prior to Torsten requesting to record the constable’s official statement. The South Australia constable said:

(1) “We don’t think it serves the public interest to prosecute.”

(2) “I think this is something you do to benefit you.”

Following the police constable’s oral statement, Torsten asked the police constable if Torsten could attain a written statement from the South Australia Police regarding it’s decision to discontinue the investigation and to not prosecute the assailants. The police constable answered with a suggestion of where to seek a written statement, but the police constable also expressed uncertainty regarding a possibility to obtain a written statement from the South Australia Police. Torsten therefore asked the police constable if it would be legally permitted to instead audio record an oral statement from the approaching police constable (Taylor). The police constable affirmed that it was legally permitted to record. Torsten then quickly searched for his mobile phone from his laptop case, took out the mobile phone, and commenced a recording of the police constable. Although the police constable courteously cooperated to mention his statement a second time, this time for the recording device, the police constable actually began his recorded statement with an innocent lie, when the constable incorrectly stated that the constable had previously explained to Torsten multiple times. After the constable’s first statement, and after Torsten had inquired for a written statement by the South Australia Police, the constable had only presented his statement once. The SAPOL constable may have preferred to issue the impression on record of having provided multiple statements and explanations to Torsten, as the police constable said “I have already explained it to you multiple times.” However, that statement “I have already explained it to you multiple times.” is contrary to fact. The South Australian police constable had only produced his statement to Torsten once. The recorded statement, as linked online beneath, was the police constable’s repeated statement.

The South Australia police constable also stated “I have already explained to you in great detail.”, which is a subjective self-evaluation by the police constable to which Torsten assesses differently. There is much room for further explanation.

In the recorded statement from the South Australia Police, the police constable confirmed that the police are not continuing with the crime investigation, through these words:

“Why, at this stage, the investigation isn’t continuing, is because it’s not in the public interest to prosecute, after speaking to the people involved, and reviewing the fact. I don’t believe it’s in the public interest to prosecute because I believe an assault has not taken place due to you trespassing on the premises. After speaking to the people and reviewing the fact, I believe you were trespassing on the premises because you were asked to leave and you refused to leave the premises. Once you are asked to leave the premises, that you are not the owner of, once the person managing the premises ask you to leave the premises you can’t stand arguing that. You have to leave the premises, or you become a trespasser. I’ve explained it to you many times now. That’s all I can say on the matter.”

Audio recording of South Australia Police statement:

(MP3)  http://www.kyrkor.be/South-Australia-Police-statement-on-physical-assault-141201.mp3

(AMR)  www.kyrkor.be/South-Australia-Police-statement-on-physical-assault-crime-141201.amr

Torsten’s comment:

From the time of the first spoken words by the church assailant until the time of the first physical contact by the church assailant, was a time span of 15 seconds. The time span between the church assailant’s first declaration of interest “I’m gonna ask you to leave.” until the church assailant’s initial assault was less than 15 seconds. The time span between the church assailant’s statement of identification of authority and the church assailant’s initial physical assault was 4 seconds. The time span between the church assailant’s provision of a reason and the church assailant’s initial physical assault was 0 seconds. Simultaneously with the church assailant’s statement of a reason for requesting the innocent visitor to leave the church building, the church assailant initiated the physical assault.

Legal and ethical questions:

(1) What is a reasonable time span between provision of a statement requesting a visitor to leave a publicly announced public meeting on private property, and initiation of physical eviction?

(2) What is a reasonable response time for an innocent visitor to comply with a statement requesting a visitor to leave a publicly announced public meeting on private property?

(3) If the South Australia Police decision to regard this non-compliant innocent visitor as a trespasser, rather than as a victim of physical assault, is a precedent to similar circumstances in South Australia, then the following fictive scenario would also entail that innocent visitors are criminal trespassers rather than victims of assault:

Fictive scenario: A black man enters a shopping store to shop during public opening hours. The shop owner sees the black man in his shop. The shop owner believes that black people are thieves, because the shop owner has read on internet that black people are criminals. The shop owner, therefore, approaches the black person inside his store, declares to the black man that he is unwelcome in the store and should leave. The innocent black man is surprised (or stunned) by the approaching man’s request, and inquire what the hostile confrontation is all about. 15 seconds later, the shop owner together with shop security staff physically overpower the black man and physically evict the man from the store. The black man reports the physical assault to local police. The police declare that the black man is a trespasser on private property.

(4) According to an informative legal website (http://sa.criminallegal.com.au/crimes/assault-charges-sa/), an assault offence in South Australia is committed when someone intentionally applies force to the victim. However, force can be used as a defence if there exists “a legal excuse or justification for the conduct”. Does there, based on evidence of fact in this case of a physically assaulting church, reasonably exist a legal excuse or justification?

(5) According to an unnamed source to Torsten, the beige-clad audio-recorded church assailant of Adelaide Christian Centre Sturt Street Church, would be a police officer by profession. If this source is accurate, then might such a fact have influenced the SAPOL decision to discontinue the investigation?

(6) Is the use of force against an innocent visitor to an advertised public meeting of a church, as evidenced specifically by the church leaders (and instigated by the church pastor) of Adelaide Christian Centre Sturt Street, not a public interest?

Email communication with South Australia Police:

---------------------------

ATT: 6968/3

Carbon copied to: S/C 36461

Thanks for the proper interview today regarding the earlier emailed crime report, which now has been assigned as report number 15/Q77684. As we agreed in the interview, I would email a copy of my previously emailed report for the purpose of inclusion with your written report.

Thank-you.

Kind regards,

Torsten Nenzén

torsten@nenzen.net

Hi

Can I get you to ring into the Adelaide Crime Management Unit on 81725860 and speak to myself or S/C SNOWDEN as I can’t get through to you on the mobile number provided.

Thank you

Mick Collins

S/C 36461

East Adelaide CMU (154)

South Australia Police

176 Grenfell Street

ADELAIDE SA 5000

T 81725860 F 81725928

E michael.collins@police.sa.gov.au

W www.police.sa.gov.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA POLICE

KEEPING SA SAFE

Thank you for your email which has been forwarded to the relevant section for attention.

Please do not reply to this message.

Please DO NOT use SAPOL email enquiries for urgent enquiries, emergencies or for reporting crimes.

Kind Regards

Shantrel, Information Services Branch (100)

100 Angas Street, ADELAIDE SA 5000

E: SAPOL:Enquiries@police.sa.gov.au

SOUTH AUSTRALIA POLICE

KEEPING SA SAFE

Dear Torsten,

Thank you for your email.

Crime Stoppers are unable to assist you with this matter.

You are a victim of a crime and therefore you need to attend your local police station to report this matter, where a police report and statement will be taken from you. Please take any documentation (ie: recordings) that may assist with this matter.

Regards

Crime Stoppers

Crime Report

To: South Australia Police

The victim of crime:

Torsten Nenzén

Email: torsten@nenzen.net

Permanent residence: Magnusvagen 6A, 17731 Jarfalla, Sweden

Mobile: +46 707 77 77 54

Temporary residence: [the temporary address edited]

Crime: violent physical assault, stalking

The physical assault was committed by two church members of Adelaide Christian Centre on Sturt Street on Sunday 2014-11-23 at approximately 11:30 am.

Adelaide Christian Centre Inc.

27 Sturt St.

Adelaide

SA 5000

Telephone: (08) 8212 2322

Email: office@sturtstreet.com

The physical assault was allegedly instigated and ordered by the senior pastor of Adelaide Christian Centre Inc.: Senior Pastor Mike Groom.

Evidence provided to South Australia Police:

1.    Audio recording of the ongoing physical assault.

2.    Photographs of the assailants.

3.    All email dialogue with Adelaide Christian Centre.

Description of the physical assault crime:

Violent physical assault against an absolutely innocent and peaceful visitor to Sturt Street Adelaide Christian Centre Church in conjunction with the visitor entering the church building to attend the church’s announced public gathering on Sunday Nov. 23, 2014, by two church members (church elders?). The man in beige clothing in the three photos, physically assaulted the peaceful visitor allegedly through orders from the Senior Pastor Mike Groom. The assaulting beige-clad man together with another man (assuming to be the man in blue shirt in photo 3 standing to the right) physically assaulted the innocent visitor by both of the two men tightly gripping both of the visitor’s arms (one man tightly gripped my left arm, while the beige-clad church member tightly gripped my right arm). The two men then intermittently physically dragged and physically pushed the visitor towards the exit, and finally threw the visitor out from the main entry doorway. The visitor verbally requested that the physically assaulting church members would stop touching him and to release him, but the aggressors refused to let go of their tight grips around the visitor’s both arms, and continued to physically drag/push the resisting visitor.

Photographic evidence:

Photographs taken immediately after the conclusion of the physical assault for identification purpose:

1.      http://www.kyrkor.be/Sturt-Street-Adelaide-Christian-Centre-pastors-physically-assault-visitor-141123.jpg

2.      http://www.kyrkor.be/Sturt-Street-Adelaide-Christian-Centre-physically-assault-visitor-141123.jpg

3.      http://www.kyrkor.be/Sturt-Street-Adelaide-Christian-Centre-physically-assault-and-evict-141123.jpg

Audio recording evidence:

Time: Sunday November 23, 2014 at approximately 11:30 am in conjunction with an advertised public gathering

Location: Sturt Street Adelaide Christian Centre: Torsten stood and talked with a man for a long time inside the lobby of Sturt Street Adelaide Christian Centre. Another man (elder and a “part of the church’s security system”) named Danny McDaid interrupted the peaceful conversation to enquire of Torsten’s name in an unfriendly manner. Torsten said his name. Torsten and the other man continued talking. Torsten later decided to discontinue the conversation, and instead attend the public gathering. Torsten therefore walked towards the auditorium. As Torsten neared the auditorium, a man stopped immediately in front of Torsten, and began stating that “Unfortunately, I have to tell you that you are not …” In Torsten’s immediate recognition of a typically hostile church leader, anticipating a declaration of excommunication from the hindering man, Torsten interrupted the hindering man’s sentence and said “Just wait. I need to put this on record.” Within a couple of seconds, Torsten had initiated the audio recorder on his mobile phone, which Torsten held in his right hand.

Assailant in beige clothes:: the hindering man who spoke and initiated the violent physical assault and physical eviction against Torsten.

Assisting assailant in dark clothes: the assisting assailant man did not speak during the violent physical assault against Torsten. The assisting assailant grabbed Torsten’s left arm from behind, gripped it hard so that Torsten could not realease himself from the tight grip, and intermittently pushed and dragged Torsten towards the exit doorway in a coordinated struggle with the assailant in beige clothes. Because the assisting assailant approached Torsten from behind, and because he did not speak, Torsten did not see him or attempt to see him. Torsten’s focus was with the initial assailant in beige clothes.

Torsten Nenzén: is a peaceful visitor who is absolutely innocent of any wrongdoing at Sturt Street Adelaide Christian Centre, and who is absolutely innocent in relation to all excommunications by other churches.

Audio recording 1 of church assailant in beige clothes:

(MP3)  http://www.kyrkor.be/Sturt-Street-Adelaide-Christian-Centre-assault-141123.mp3

(AMR)  http://www.kyrkor.be/Sturt-Street-Adelaide-Christian-Centre-assault-141123.amr

Audio recording 2 of church stalker elder Danny McDaid:

(MP3)  http://www.kyrkor.be/Sturt-Street-Adelaide-Christian-Centre-stalking-141123.mp3

(AMR)  http://www.kyrkor.be/Sturt-Street-Adelaide-Christian-Centre-stalking-141123.amr

In having consulted the Legal Services Commission of South Australia this morning 2014-11-24, I inquired to what extent a church can exert violence against a visitor. The lawyer informed me that churches in South Australia are not authorised to subject visitors to ANY violence:

http://sa.criminallegal.com.au/crimes/assault-charges-sa/

Therefore, I ask that South Australia Police enforce this law in relation to this report with enclosed evidences, and prosecute Adelaide Christian Centre Inc. for their crime.

Kind regards,

Torsten Nenzén

-----------------------------

All email correspondence with the aggressing church:

Sturt Street Adelaide Christian Centre.

On Sunday Nov.23, 2014 at approximately 11:30 am, two of your violent church members (elders?) physically assaulted me as a peaceful visitor seeking to attend your advertised Sunday public gathering. One of the assailants stated that the reason for this physical assault and eviction was that the pastor of your church had ordered them to physically remove me from the church premises, and that the visitor was guilty of travelling. One of the church-member assailants also stated that the reason for their physical assault was that an internet search engine (Google) had revealed that I travel and cause problems.

(1) On which legal right did your church attack me with physical violence yesterday, Sunday Nov. 23, 2014?

(2) On which Biblical right did your church physically evict and excommunicate me?

(3) What precisely are you accusing me of? Of what am I guilty?

One of your church elders later stalked me as I tried to walk away from your church entrance, pursuing me approximately 75 meters along the public sidewalk.

(4) Why did your elder Danny McDaid harass me by stalking me on public property?

Please answer these four questions.

Regards,

Torsten Nenzén

torsten@nenzen.net

Hi Jeremy Nilo,

Thanks for your kind reply email, and the invitation to the organized sociable event on Dec. 6, which I would hope to attend.

During the two weeks between tomorrow Sunday and Sat. Dec.6, are there also additional (perhaps less structured) social occasions within context of Christian community?

Yes, we can of course meet during your lunch break this Wednesday at 12:30, if there is something in particular that you would like to discuss. May I please know in brief your intended agenda for the talk? From my perspective entering into a talk, I might be interested to know more how Sturt Street Church evangelises in Adelaide. It would appear that Adelaide City Council prohibits ANY religious literature distribution on ALL public property in Adelaide and its regions, unless the Christian is approved by Adelaide City Council and is liability insured to the council by 20 million AUD. This is in fact a contravention of the UN Declaration of Rights, and possibly (?) also a breach of the Constitution of Australia and the Bill of Rights. In no city anywhere in the world have I encountered anything as ludicrous as the Adelaide City Council total restriction of all religious literature on ALL public property. I am scheduled to discuss these freedoms and rights with a lawyer here in Adelaide at 9 AM on Monday. How can any Christian church here in Adelaide tolerate such utter nonsense from Adelaide City Council? That would be my choice of topic for talks.

Kind regards,

Torsten Nenzen

Hi Torsten,

Thanks for your email.

Appreciate the information that you have sent through.

There are certainly several people your age in the group, so I am sure you will be able to meet some people in the group that hopefully share similar interests.

Apologies for assuming that you are on Facebook. We do endeavour to send most of our event information either through Facebook, Viber, or via SMS or email.

For your information, our next event details are below:

It's that time of the year again: a time when we can reflect on our journey this year, be grateful for what has been and be expectant on things to come. To end our year, Enable will be having a day and night long celebration! So, mark your calendars for Saturday, December 6 and come pool-ready to the Nilo's Residence (contact 0417 842 787 for address).

The festivities will kick off at 2pm with group activities (including pool games) and conclude with a movie under the stars. Additionally, we have a guest speaker in Pastor Mike, who will come to share some thoughts and words of encouragement to us as we round up the year and look forward to 2015. The Enable Team would also like to use this opportunity to share our plans and events for the upcoming year.

As we want to cater to the best of our abilities, we need firm numbers for attendance by Thursday, December 4. So please feel free to bring a friend/s and remember to tell us how many you're bringing!

The things you will need are:

1. $10 (to help with the catering and the prizes)

2. Swim wear (including accessories like goggles and a towel)

3. A picnic blanket or chair to watch the movie on (even pillows or a bean bag!)

4. A testimony or something to share about your year

Please remember to bring these items as we may not have enough of these things to share around.

Hope you will be able to attend.

I won't be at church this Sunday, but it would be great to meet if possible during the week.

I will be available Wednesday around 12.30pm and Friday 12.30pm during my lunch break.

Hope we can catch up soon,

Jeremy

Adelaide Christian Centre on Sturt Street.

Greetings Jeremy Nilo,

I have read your email now in regards to your link to the church's public website which provides no practical information (time & location) regarding occasions for fellowship. I am not a member of Facebook and never will be.

I seek also occasion to fellowship with Christians in the age 30's and maybe also late 20's. My habitation is in the CBD of Adelaide. I neither study nor work. I am a Christian.

When and where are occasions for fellowship with also other Christians of similar life stage as single?

Regards,

Torsten Nenzen

Greetings Torsten,

We received a greeting card this week from you in regards to making a connection with our Young Adults Group.

We have a group at Sturt Street called 'enable' which meet from time to time during the week, for different events, including discussion groups, group activities, bible studies, as well as involvement in major church events.

More information is available on the Sturt Street website (http://sturtstreet.com/young-adults), or visit our Facebook Page (Search enable - Sturt Street Young Adults).

It would certainly be great to meet you in person at some stage, so hopefully I will be able to see you at one of our Sunday Services, or catch up for lunch during the week.

Can I get you to send me some of your details, including your age, where you are staying here in Adelaide and if you are a student/working, as well as any other details you are willing to disclose.

If you would like to call me, my mobile number is 0417842787

Hope to hear from you soon!

Jeremy

Enable

e. enable@sturtstreet.com

Thanks Marita.

Hi Torsten,

Thank you for letting me know.

You’re right. Jeremy did not receive the info. I have sent it again to his other email address.

Regards,

Marita Mabulac

Adelaide Christian Centre

27 Sturt Street, Adelaide, SA 5000

Phone: (08) 8212 2322  Fax: (8) 8212 7770

Email: office@sturtstreet.com

Website: sturtstreet.com.au

Adelaide Christian Centre.

Dear Marita Mabulac,

Thanks for your email. You are the only person from Sturt Street Christian Centre who has contacted.

Which are the relational occasions?

I hope that Mr. Jeremy from Enable is not selective. Maybe he did not receive the information. Please forward the enquiry to him again.

Best regards,

Torsten Nenzen

Hi Torsten,

This is Marita, the person who was in the Info Desk whom you handed over the blue Communication Card last Sunday at Sturt Street.

I just want to know if Jeremy from Enable (Young Adults in the church) have contacted you.

Regards,

Marita Mabulac

Adelaide Christian Centre

27 Sturt Street, Adelaide, SA 5000

Phone: (08) 8212 2322  Fax: (8) 8212 7770

Email: office@sturtstreet.com

Website: sturtstreet.com.au

·          Photograph of the church’s communication card which was handed to a church office staff on duty inside the church building lobby, on Sunday Nov.16, 2014: http://www.kyrkor.be/Sturt-Street-Adelaide-Christian-Centre-communication-card-2014-11-16.jpg