Police investigate after at least 60 sexual assault allegations against Wellington musicians

Police are investigating after at least 60 people made claims on social media about being sexually assaulted by a group of Wellington musicians, with several women now filing complaints.

The allegations include women who have been drugged, raped, harassed and abused by the group over the years.

“The police are aware of the allegations and are conducting investigations,” a police spokeswoman said today.

“Anyone with information that can help should contact the police directly through 105.

“The police urge people not to mention names or post personal information on social media, and instead give any relevant details to the police so that we can make the proper inquiries.”

Wellington City Councilwoman Tamatha Paul has been helping whistleblowers meet and seek help.

He said the people he was working with would meet with the police sexual assault team and that victim advocate Louise Nicholas was also involved.

Paul told NZME that he first learned of the allegations over the weekend.

“It sort of developed that there are some people who are quite prominent in the Wellington music scene … there are a lot of people who come forward with accusations against these people,” he said.

Since I first saw the posts online, there has been “an avalanche” of people sharing their experiences, which were “really horrible and really heartbreaking.”

“It seems like this has been going on for a long time.”

Paul’s approach was to make sure whistleblowers were protected while they came forward to “speak their truth.”

“I can’t stress enough how important it is for people to report.”

Anyone wishing to report can use police line 105 or contact local sexual abuse support groups, such as Mosaic and Wellington Sexual Abuse Help, he said.

Numerous people have shared stories of being drugged to make them pass out, and others who described being asleep and waking up to find one of the musicians assaulting them.

Some said the incidents occurred during house parties, and others said they or their friends were assaulted in nightclubs or while on the street.

An Instagram user who had been collecting complaints previously said she had received at least 100 testimonies of sexual assault, harassment and violence.

A fellow Wellington musician said there was a power dynamic in the industry that allowed known people to “cover up” incidents.

“It is because of their status that they believe they have the right to take advantage of women, and they believe that they can take advantage of women,” he told the Herald.

He did not comment on the specific allegations against the men in question.

A former group manager told the Herald that he no longer works with the group “due to a situation involving” similar “allegations.

Police issued a statement this afternoon saying they had received a “small number of complaints” that were being investigated.

“While we understand the community’s concerns regarding this matter, we ask individuals to refrain from using social media to name individuals or post personal data, as this could affect the police investigation,” the statement said.

“We know that filing a report to report sexual assault can be incredibly difficult, yet we want to assure the Wellington community that we treat these reports extremely seriously.

“Anyone with information that can assist our ongoing inquiries is requested to contact Wellington Police directly at 105 and refer to Operation Emerald.

“We will treat it sensitively and investigate thoroughly.”

Wellington Meow music venue spokeswoman Rahine O’Reilly said the allegations on social media “make me feel bad.”

He was hesitant to comment on the situation, but said that some of the group’s accused members had been on the music scene for some time and were “a long way from being prominent.”

Where to get help:

• If it is an emergency and you think you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
• If you have ever been sexually assaulted or abused and need to speak to someone, call the confidential Safe to Talk crisis helpline at: 0800 044 334 or text 4334 (available 24/7 weekdays).
• Male survivors Aotearoa offers a variety of confidential support at the New Zealand centers; find the closest one here.
• Mosaic – Personal Care: 0800 94 22 94 (available from 11:00 to 20:00)
• If you have been abused, remember that it is not your fault.
• Wellington HELP has a 24/7 helpline for people who need to speak to someone right away. You can call 04 801 6655 and press 0 in the menu.