Police Commissioner Peter Marshall says police cannot afford to fail victims of sexual assault, the NZ Herald reports.
In further public comments about the "Roast Busters" controversy, Mr Marshall said the public's anger would not be a surprise given the importance of investigations into sexual abuse.
"It is quite proper that the public expects us to deal with these matters with empathy, timeliness, accuracy and rigour as we seek to establish the truth."
The case of the young men who boasted about having sex with young, sometimes underage, girls, has caused teachers to ask if sex education needs a shake up.
The Wireless producer Megan Whelan put this story together for the Mothership.