Watchdog's Roast Busters report imminent but inquiry into sex group still under wraps

Beraiah Hales

The Independent Police Conduct Authority is set to release its report into the botched police handling of the publicity around the Roast Busters rape investigation within the next week.

But a second report into the actual investigation will be withheld until the case is completely dealt with by either the police or the courts.

The Roast Busters are a group of predominantly West Auckland youths, including Beraiah Hales and Joseph Parker, who bragged on the group's Facebook page about having sex with girls as young as 13.

Hales and Parker are alleged to have been the ringleaders of the group and have been under watch by the police since late 2011, when a 13-year-old made a formal complaint about the youths.

A police investigation into the allegations, dubbed Operation Clover, is ongoing but no one has been charged, due to a lack of evidence.

After the Roast Busters scandal went public, police gave incorrect information to media about the number of victims involved.

The then commissioner, Peter Marshall, conceded the handling of the publicity around the case was flawed and Police Minister Anne Tolley asked the Independent Police Conduct Authority to investigate it, as well as the handling of the initial investigation.

The Weekend Herald has learned police are expecting to see the first IPCA report on Friday. A police source said those close to the investigation were nervous and had already accepted they were going to "get slapped". The source said the second report would be released only when the case was "finished", but that could be months away.

The Weekend Herald has learned that the investigation team have been given a deadline of the end of June to finish their inquiries. The collated file will then be passed on to the police legal unit for review and only then will a decision be made about what charges, if any, will be laid.

It is understood police have requested that the alleged victim relays her complaint to lawyers personally.

Police have repeatedly refused to answer specific questions from the Weekend Herald about Operation Clover, including whether Hales and Parker were co-operating with the investigation and what property had been seized by officers during the investigation.

"Regarding Operation Clover, sorry, there is nothing further to add to the statement issued earlier," spokeswoman Beth Bates said.

In that statement, Detective Inspector Karyn Malthus said Operation Clover was "a complex investigation and any decision relating to prosecution will not be taken lightly".

"We are, understandably, working closely with our legal team in this regard.

"We are mindful that Operation Clover has impacted on the lives of a number of young people and their families," she said. "The investigation has a strong victim focus and the privacy and welfare needs of the young people and their families remain a priority."

"We do not intend to compromise the investigation at this delicate stage by discussing operational matters in greater detail," Ms Malthus said.

Operation Clover has been described as "the tightest of all" criminal investigations in recent years. "It's not an agenda item at meetings - it's purely a 'who needs to know' thing," said a senior police source.