One Woman’s Story of Reporting Her Rape In New Zealand

TW: this story contains descriptions of sexual assault, rape and its aftermath.

Over their lifetime, one in five New Zealand women will experience sexual violation or rape. But despite the high numbers of women surviving sexual violence, few of the perpetrators will ever be prosecuted or convicted. Of the thousands of women who report sexual violations to the police, 87 percent won't see their rapist convicted—and almost 70 percent won't see any form of prosecution. This is the story of just one of the women in that category, whose rape wasn't seen as viable for prosecution; and whose rapist didn't face court.

I was raped on the 2nd of January, 2016. I went out with friends, and woke up at 2am to find one of them had come through an unlocked door in my house, and was in my bedroom. He raped me, and left. This is what happened next:

READ MORE: A Tiny Minority of NZ Rape Cases Make it to Court. Do We Have A Problem?

Need to talk?
Rape Crisis – 0800 883 300
Lifeline – 0800 543 354
If you've experienced a sexual assault you can report it to NZ police by dialling 111, or learn more here.