In December 2020, nearly a decade since the first allegations, NZ Police has reopened the case after a fresh complaint has been laid and arrested two of the men involved, with a warrant out for a third man who is overseas.
[6] Police spokesmen claimed they had been aware of the group and had been monitoring their Facebook page for two years, but had not begun prosecution because no alleged victims had made formal statements or complaints.
One of the alleged victims made a formal complaint in 2011 when she was thirteen years old, and was quoted as saying the police "said that I didn't have enough evidence to show, because I went out in clothes that was pretty much asking for it.
On 16 November 2013 numerous protests were held across New Zealand's major cities in response to the group as well as police and media handling of the case.
[24] The matter has also featured heavily on talk back radio and political blogs, where the handling of the subject by John Tamihere and Willie Jackson sparked outrage, subsequently resulting in advertising boycotts and presenters being taken off air due to comments felt to be victim blaming.
"[26] Some felt John Tamihere and Willie Jackson implied that the alleged victims of gang rape were culpable when they claimed that young girls "should not be drinking anyway.
"[26] On 21 November 2013 a petition signed by over 111,000 people demanding stronger action over the Roast Busters scandal was handed over to the New Zealand Parliament.
[27] In January 2019, an interview conducted with former Roast Busters ringleader Joseph Parker by Newshub[28] was heavily criticised for reportedly re-traumatising the victims of the group's attacks, who had launched rape complaints against him.
"[33] On 16 December, New Zealand Police arrested two men connected to the Roast Busters gang after a formal complaint of a sexual nature involving a person aged 12 to 16 in 2020 prompted an investigation.