Police said the women deserved praise for coming forward and reliving their ordeal in court, five years later. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Warning: This story deals with sexual violence.
Christchurch police have praised the courage of young women who came forward after being drugged and sexually assaulted at a bar and restaurant, following the conviction of two men on dozens of charges.
The men, whose names remain suppressed as a result of a High Court appeal, were convicted of 68 charges including rape, sexual violation, indecent assault and drink-spiking, following a two-month, judge-alone trial.
They used a WhatsApp group to discuss their crimes and filmed an explicit video.
Detective Inspector Scott Anderson said the women deserved praise for coming forward and reliving their ordeal in court, five years later.
"You've got to really feel for the victims. This has hung over their heads, they've gone through important stages of their lives and they've had this burning away in the back of their mind.
"Some have subsequently got married and had kids, and then had to come back to court and have the courage to get up and outline again what happened to them five years ago. They've been incredibly courageous."
A third man was acquitted on all but a minor drug charge, and a fourth will stand trial next week.
Police launched Operation Sinatra in 2018 when two women told police they had been drugged and sexually assaulted after a night out socialising.
A subsequent police appeal resulted in more women coming forward to complain about drink-spiking and sexual assaults at Mama Hooch bar.
In the end, 30 women and two men were involved in the district court case.
Anderson said the complainants described "a night like no other".
"Some of the effects included things like blackouts, not being in control of their body. Some have described feeling like being under water."
The WhatsApp group offered an unfiltered view of the men's behaviour, Anderson said.
"A lot of it was very graphic. A lot of it talked about how they targeted the victims and the way they thought of some of the women they targeted was quite derogatory."
Victims advocate Ruth Money said the men's crimes were deplorable.
"They have illegally plied women and men with substances so they could have their own way with them. It's absolutely repugnant.
"The messages that came out in evidence about how they conducted their predatory behaviour - New Zealanders should be very concerned that this is happening in our community.
"We should be very thankful to the brave survivors who disclosed it and the amazing mahi of the police and Crown."
Money said sexual assault cases involving video content were increasingly common.
"It's absolutely horrific from a survivor perspective and it's the ultimate in abuse and control. They are stupefying their survivors, they're assaulting them and they're recording it so they can share it among their so-called friends. It's absolutely deplorable."
Long time coming
The convictions came after lengthy delays for legal and logistical reasons, and because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Money said justice had been a long time coming for the complainants, who were effectively tied to the trauma of the offending for years.
"It's a mammoth effort for every survivor sadly to go through this and so late in the piece after the gross offending."
Money said she was concerned for the wellbeing of other unidentified women who had been attacked, or those who had chosen not to go through the court process.
"We hope that those survivors are getting the help that they need ... Sexual violence is an epidemic, it's happening all the time, and we need to have those conversations to get this stuff out of the shadows."
Money said blanket suppression orders covering the trial were frustrating, but a careful, diligent approach was in the interests of justice.
The men will be sentenced in July.
Don't blame victims - support worker
Jo Bader, client services manager for sexual violence services at support provider Aviva, said the defence had a "heavy focus" on the victims' ages and levels of intoxication.
"It's really important to note here that legally, you can't actually consent if you're intoxicated anyway," she told Checkpoint. "So irrespective of anything else that might have gone on, being intoxicated isn't consent."
She said rather than insinuate the victims had to shoulder some of the blame, the focus should go on the offenders.
"Lots of people go out and have some drinks, lots of people become intoxicated - it's not an open invitation to be assaulted… what we don't do is, we don't flip it around and we don't say to people going out drinking and harming, 'You're going to be going out drinking tonight - what's your safety plan to ensure that other people are safe from your behaviour?'"
Bader said others who chose not to report their incidents to police can still access support services, if they need them.
"It's never too late to come forward and speak to the police about it. I know that they'd be very willing and happy to hear from people if they did come forward. You don't have to report to police… but support is available. Support is not dependent on whether you report to police or not."
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz
What's Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
Healthline: 0800 611 116
Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
Sexual Violence
Victim Support 0800 842 846
Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00
HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496