A lawyer for a man accused of indecent assault at a Labour youth camp says the jury must decide whether he was simply caught up in a political storm.
The Crown alleges the 20-year-old assaulted two males and two females at the camp in Waihi last February.
Events took place the evening after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed those in attendance at the camp, the prosecution says.
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It is alleged the man was drunk when he assaulted two young males, by grabbing them by the genitals.
The prosecution says he then licked a woman from neck to face; squeezing another woman's breast and buttocks as she tried to get into bed to sleep it off.
The man's behaviour went from inappropriate to "unacceptable", the prosecution says.
One complainant told the Auckland District Court he "freaked out" after the incident.
The defence maintains there were "drunken antics", but no criminal offending took place.
The prosecution says the defendant apologised in the morning, but didn't seem to remember much. He was removed from the camp soon after.
It is expected the trial will last five days.
Newshub.
