NEW Zealand police are being criticised for not taking action against a group of teenage boys who have been getting girls drunk, having sex with them and naming them on the internet.
“This is gang rape, full stop,” said NZ Labour’s women’s affairs spokeswoman, Carol Beaumont.
“The fact that police have known for two years that these revolting individuals have been posting their `exploits’ on Facebook, and have identified victims as young as 13, but took no action, is astonishing.”
The group of Auckland teenagers, who call themselves the Roast Busters, have been using Facebook since 2011 to recruit others to join them in having sex with girls – some of them drunk – and then naming them publicly, TV3 reports.
Police say they have been monitoring the site and have warned the group their behaviour is “verging on criminal if not criminal”.
However, they say they can’t prosecute until a “brave” woman comes forward and makes a formal complaint.
“None of the girls have been brave enough to make formal statements to us so we can take it to a prosecution stage or even consider a prosecution stage,” Detective Inspector Bruce Scott said.
The group’s Facebook page has been removed after TV3 aired videos on Sunday night of two of its members explaining what they’ve been doing.
“A true roast is where you know you are going there intentionally to roast this female,” one says.
“We don’t choose a roast, the roast chooses us. We have girls hitting us up to hang out with us. They know what we’re like; they know what they’re in for.”
Young women have started using twitter to voice their concerns about the group.
“Their stupidity pisses meeh (sic) off! Yes, of course you’ll be known, BUT for all the wrong reasons! #RoastBusters,” one young girl wrote before adding: “K here I am raging bout them lil f*%#$, forgetting I have two exams too! Grrrr… #NoSleepTonight.”
Another wrote: “#roastbusters absolute losers. The girls want them? No.”
“#roastbusters grow up, get checked and have some dignity. Little boys trying to play big games,” said another tweeter.
