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A Wellington nightclub worker said he reported one of the people at the center of a series of sexual assault allegations to police three months ago.
File photo.
Photo: 123RF
The police have launched an investigation into a group of musicians, after various accusations of rape, sexual assault, predatory behavior and violence appeared on social media.
A small number of complaints have been officially filed with the police, following the posts.
At a press conference yesterday, Detective Inspector John van den Heuven said it was not yet known whether the police knew the people or whether any complaints had been made about their behavior in the past.
He said they were currently reviewing his records to verify.
But a Wellington bar staff member said he recently reported on the behavior of one of the musicians.
“He had pushed a woman into the handicap toilets, and was trying to sexually assault her, before someone came looking for us after hearing the woman say ‘stop’.
“We made the entrance to the bathroom and we had to take this man out by force, as he got quite aggressive towards us, and basically threatened to hit and beat us.
“That was reported to the police, but I’m not sure if the police are busy or if they put it away and forgot about it.”
Another man said he had also intervened when he saw two of the men with a drunk woman. The man said he believed she was going to be assaulted, so he managed to get her into the taxi.
The bar staff member said he first encountered the men three months ago, and they continually displayed predatory behavior, often buying the women numerous drinks.
“Once upon a time we counted thirteen drinks for a woman.”
Such behavior, he said, is endemic in night spots.
“Unfortunately, this type of behavior, not rape or [sexual assault] accusations, but groping and buying excessive drinks, becoming a predator and not knowing when to stop is probably a weekly occurrence inside the bar, unfortunately.
“It is believed that we could have done more, but we reported it to the police and that is the best we could have done.”
Tolerance for such behavior has already changed since the allegations came to light, he said.
“I think it will be much more severe at this point – our owners came in and said, we have the discretion now that we can immediately transfer them for their behavior.”
The accusations come as a new analysis of police data reveals that Wellington’s nightlife district has the highest rate of assault and sexual assault in the country.
In the case of assaults, the rate is 10 times higher than the national average.
It also found that these crimes were most frequent between 12 am and 3 am on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
Sela Luapo, executive director of Wellington HELP, a service for survivors of sexual abuse, said those numbers reflect her daily experience.
“The sexual assaults that have been happening have always been happening,” Luapo said.
“And the numbers are always high. The fact that this has come to light is just what is happening to us. We have to constantly respond to all these numbers.”
Efforts are being made to curb the number of sexual assaults and assaults that are taking place.
Take 10, a safe late-night space camped out at Courtenay Place, received funding to set up shop on Friday and Saturday nights.
Ultimately, it’s about prevention, Luapo said.
“We have organizations like RespectEd that are working around prevention, and the police are working very hard to achieve that, with campaigns like ‘Don’t guess yes.”
In light of the police investigation into the musicians, there have been calls for people with experiences or information to come forward.
Luapo said he is concerned this will put pressure on survivors.
“I would recommend that if you want to have an anonymous private conversation, you contact an agency like ours.
“We can tell you what the options are, what the police process is like, what the support is like, and how we can do this safely for you, your family and whānau.”
He also said they provide a space for people who want to introduce themselves and can help set up meetings in a safe space in his office with the police.
Police said their investigations are still ongoing and have reiterated their message for anyone with information to contact them.
