Nationwide marches against sex boasts in New Zealand

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Nationwide marches against sex boasts in New Zealand

(Xinhua) 15:49, November 16, 2013

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Demonstrations took place throughout New Zealand on Saturday in response to a group of teenage boys who boasted online about having sex with drunk girls, some of them under-age.

The gatherings were organized by an umbrella group called Bust Rape Culture Now, which comprises organizations concerned with how the Roast Busters case has been handled, Radio New Zealand reported.

The group is also calling for better funding for rape crisis centers, a focus on rape prevention and better support for survivors.

About 700 people attended a march in Auckland which began at the Britomart precinct and made its way up Queen Street to Myers Park.

Auckland lawyer Catriona McLennan told the crowd that the police and the government are failing to keep women safe.

McLennan said the police should have taken much swifter action to investigate the group and warn the potential victims and their parents, Raido New Zealand reported.

About 300 people attended a march in central Wellington, which halted traffic through the central city.

Another 200 people turned out to a march in South Island city of Dunedin. One of the Dunedin organizers Anna Kristy Munro, from Rape Crisis, said the government has a responsibility to provide extra funding to help make it easier for rape survivors to come forward.

Events were also held in Christchurch and Palmerston North, and a march in Hamilton was due to take place Saturday evening.

Speaking from Sri Lanka where he is attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, Prime Minister John Key said he was not surprised by the turnout at the marches.

"The behavior is just unacceptable on so many different fronts. The challenge I don't think for us as a country is understanding it, the real test is how do we make change to resolve some of these issues," Radio New Zealand quoted him as saying.

Key said the issue is about educating people not to engage in behavior that is totally unacceptable.