The Independent Police Conduct Authority has criticised the police in their handling of alleged offending by teenagers who named themselves the Roast Busters.
The teens boasted online on a Facebook page titled the Roast Busters about their alleged sexual exploits with drunk and underage females.
No charges were ever laid because investigators believed there was no reasonable chance of a conviction.
The main criticisms revealed today in the IPCA report are:
- Officers should have identified connections between various cases
- There were deficiencies in the investigation practices
- Officers failed to follow up and pursue 'positive lines of enquiry'
- The supervisory oversight of the individual cases was inadequate
- The young men's parents were never made aware of 'several of the incidents'
- The IPCA has called for any audit of the Waitemata Child Protection Unit to determine whether any shortcomings still exist
