Over the past two-and-a-half years, police in Auckland, New Zealand have been interviewing young girls who have fallen victim to a group of 17 and 18-year-old boys who call themselves the "Roast Busters," 3 News reports, a club that reportedly includes the son of an actor who appeared in the sci-fi classic, "The Matrix."
The name "Roast Busters" is a play on "Ghostbusters" and presumably, the word rape, the group of teens known for picking up young and often underage girls (in New Zealand it is illegal to have sexual contact with someone under the age of 16), feeding them alcohol and then having group sex with them before bragging about their exploits on their now-defunct Facebook page. Several of the current and former club members have been revealed by 3 News, including 17-year-old Beraiah Hales, Joseph Levall Parker, son of Anthony Ray Parker, who played Dozer in "The Matrix", according to Gawker.
As for why the group has not been prosecuted, Detective Inspector Bruce Scott gave his force's rationale to 3 News, though it's been met with controversy.
"None of the girls have been brave enough to make formal statements to us so we can take that to a prosecution stage," he said. "Clearly they are traumatized by what's happened. We would love to take some positive action for these girls and others who may be victims in the future, but without actual evidence my hands are tied."
One victim recalled her experiences with the gang to the news station, claiming that she was underage at the time the boys approached her and offered her alcohol and later had sex with her, which is a crime, as it is illegal to have sex with someone under the influence of alcohol in New Zealand.
"I just kept blacking out 'cause i had drunken too much," she said. "You could say I got raped. I had sex with three guys at one time."
Although her identity has been kept anonymous in order to protect her, many other girls have not been so lucky. On their former Facebook page, the Roast Busters began naming and shaming their "conquests" while bragging about their group's activities.
"A true roast is where you know you are going there intentionally to roast this female," one young man part of the gang says in a video posted to Facebook. "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."
"We take what we do seriously - some of you think this is a joke, it's not," another young man said on camera. The group is calling for more boys to join them, while law enforcement are keeping close tabs on their activities.
"We've told them their behavior is verging on criminal if not criminal, and suggested it cease," Detective Inspector Scott told 3 News. "Some of the boys and their families were compliant and we believe they have stopped associating with the group."
One such boy included Parker, who lost his job after his association with the Roast Busters was exposed. His father has released a statement through his agent about the matter asking for privacy. Meanwhile, another former member of the group offered his apologies on Facebook in a post entitled "MY BAD," the New Zealand Herald reports.
"I have not been happy with who I have become and if I suffer any consequences from my past actions then I guess I deserve it but I just want people to know I am a good person at heart and I have matured and have taken this as a massive learning experience," wrote one of the group's founders.
However, the group continues to exist, and has even spawned their own "Rape Busters Appreciation Pages" on Facebook, including one that read, "Appreciating the roast busters, putting b***hes in their place since ages ago. Outing the s***s giving them the treatment they deserve. Any s***s keen to get put on the spit or ganged feel free to comment everyone loves a good s***."
Prime Minister John Key has even publicly spoken out against the group, calling their behavior "abhorrent."
"It's just extremely disturbing and disgusting behavior and these young guys should grow up," he said to the AFP, but echoed the sentiments of Smith, adding: "It's very difficult to progress these issues if someone is unwilling to make a complaint and it's a very challenging position for a young woman to put herself in."
