New Zealanders Protest Rape Culture as Roast Busters Remain at Large
Thousands of New Zealanders marched on the streets in protest of the "rape culture" because society and authorities allegedly don't take rape seriously. The public outcries have intensified since the exposure of the teen rape club in Auckland who call themselves the Roast Busters.
The Roast Busters are a group of male teenagers who have sex with drunk girls as young as 13 years old then shame them on Facebook by posting photos of them as evidence of their sexual encounters. Many Kiwis were horrified upon learning of the controversy and for allowing the teen "rape club" to go on with their acts.
At first, New Zealand police claimed their hands were tied when it comes to the Roast Busters since none of the victims came forward and filed a complaint. However, it was discovered during the investigation that at least one victim went to the police to report the crime only to be told she didn't have enough evidence to support her claim.
The girl said in an interview that she didn't have a case because the police said she was wearing clothes that was "pretty much asking for it." She said the authorities in New Zealand had asked her questions about the kind of clothes she was wearing. The line of questioning made the girl feel that the sexual assault was her fault, instead of the Roast Busters.
According to the organisers of the anti-rape march in New Zealand, sexual violence in men and women should be treated as a "national health crisis." More than 100,000 people have signed an online petition to urge Prime Minister John Key to bring the justice to the victims of Roast Busters.
The young victim from West Auckland, now 15 years old, filed a second complaint against the Roast Busters in 2011. However, the New Zealand police said there was insufficient evidence to support the young girl's claims during that time.
The young teen said in an interview that she had filed a second complaint with the police. She said the police were "doing nothing" about the Roast Busters.