22 Jan 2019

Roast Busters interview questioned: 'Why would we care?'

From Morning Report, 8:11 am on 22 January 2019

Advocates for victims of sexual assault have condemned last night's interview with the roast buster Joseph Parker. Mr Parker was a member of the gang of teenage boys who boasted online about having sex with drunk girls, some of them under-age, between 2011 and 2013. The boys did not face charges - but an Independent Police Complaints Authority investigation later found that police had made basic mistakes, didn't pursue positive lines of inquiry and let victims down. He told Newshub he is not the monster he is made out to be. But last Sunday Mr Parker posted a promotional video calling for donations to support his music. And in December, he released a song called "Trophies" that refers to the scandal. Meg De Ronde set up a website for victims of sexual abuse to share their stories in response to the scandal. She talks to Susie Ferguson.