Protesters who gathered in Auckland to demonstrate against the sentencing of a man who raped four teenagers are calling for change to help better support sexual assault victims.
Dozens of people gathered in Aotea Square on Sunday after it was revealed this week that Jayden Meyer, who raped four girls aged under 16, was sentenced to nine months of home detention.
Protesters held signs saying "stop sexual violence", "9 months charged for a lifetime of trauma", and "consent law reform now".
Some attendees also made speeches, where they spoke about the impact of Meyer's sentence on other sexual assault victims.
"He gets nine months' home detention, but this will affect those girls' lives for the rest of their lives. They will have to live with this into their adulthood, forever. What does this say to everyone, to all the kids out there who've experienced sexual harassment, sexual assault - what does this say to them?" one speaker said.
"What does this say to the next generation - that the justice system won't support us, that they're not here for us?
"We need to make change, we need to support victims, stop victim-blaming."
Others said it was "unfair" Meyer got a nine-month home detention sentence.
"I think it's kind of screwed up that that guy only got nine months after all he did," one person told Newshub.
Another added: "It's completely unfair to all the victims how unfair the consequences were."
Other attendees said they wanted to go along to the protest to stand with sexual assault victims.
"We love you, we see you, we're supporting you."
Auckland's protest was one of a handful held in New Zealand over the past few days - other demonstrators attended marches in Hamilton, Gisborne, Taupō, and Whanganui to call for tougher consequences for rapists.
Around 150 students marched from Civic Square in Wellington to Parliament in a peaceful protest on Saturday afternoon, and on Thursday, over 1000 people gathered on Mount Drury Reserve in Mount Maunganui.
Organiser of the Mount Maunganui demonstration Spencer McNeil told Newshub the protests were "to hold the justice system to account because they should be upping the consequences" for offenders in cases like this.
McNeil said nine months of home detention for rape is "absolutely disgusting".
"We were in lockdown for how long? He pretty much just got lockdown… He got off with a slap on the wrist," he told Newshub.
According to the NZ Herald, Meyer, now 18, was charged after multiple police complaints by young women in the Bay of Plenty who alleged sexual violence across 2020 and 2021.
Meyer was 16 years old when he committed the attacks on five 15-year-olds, four of whom he raped and one he sexually violated.
The NZ Herald reported the psychologist who saw Meyer 20 times during the prosecution found he had a medium risk of reoffending and continues to minimise the effect of his crimes.
Growing public anger about the home detention sentence has now sparked several protests over the justice system's response to the case.
A Change.org petition calling for Meyer's sentence to be increased has received over 37,000 signatures and counting.
If you have witnessed or experienced sexual harassment or assault and would like to speak to someone, you could call the HELP support service.
Auckland: (09) 623 1700 or visit helpauckland.org.nz
- Wellington: (04) 801 6655 or visit wellingtonhelp.org.nz
