The names of Danny and Roberto Jaz, who were found guilty of dozens of charges including rape, sexual assault, indecent assault and pouring alcohol at the city center bar Mama Hooch, were finally released yesterday.
The pair were convicted last month after a two-month trial.
Justice Jonathan Eaton dismissed appeals to continue withholding their names in the High Court in Christchurch on Thursday.
The woman, who used the pseudonym Jane when she spoke exclusively to RNZ, was one of 30 women who took part in the trial at the District Court.
She said she was “thrilled” when the brothers were finally named.
“I guess I was just relieved that it finally came out.
“It was very important to de-anonymize because they were able to take the shame that was placed on the victims and place it on the perpetrators … Danny and Roberto Jazz.”
The woman did not want to tell the details of the fatal night, which was the reason for contacting the police.
But she described the past five years of the investigation into the Jazz brothers as “very difficult” given her inability to discuss the case.
“It was really difficult to have the name withheld all the time, not being able to talk to people about the trial, to fully express what happened to me.
“For other people to understand in context, I think some people knew about what happened to me, just in a close group of friends.
“But I think a lot of people had a hard time, and even family members had a hard time understanding or contextualizing how bad this whole situation was.”
Danny Jazz managed the Mama Hooch Bar and Roberto Jazz was the executive chef at the nearby Venuti restaurant.
Both repeatedly committed sexual violence of varying degrees of severity while working on the sites.
They were then involved in raping, assaulting and filming the drugged victims, most of whom were between the ages of 18 and 24.
The couple also discussed these activities in a WhatsApp group chat.
Jane said she had to “tiptoe” through the case at her workplace amid other personal issues surrounding the case.
“It definitely set me back in terms of career opportunities.”
She admitted that it was difficult to understand “why they chose me and why it had to be me.”
“For a long time I could not know what drugs were given to me, I had no idea.
“They gave me a lot of drinks and injections… it was really difficult to know what exactly they were giving me.
“I’ve never used recreational drugs before, so it was really terrifying for me to know that something was done against my will.”
Coming face-to-face with the men in court while giving evidence, Jane told how she overcame her frustration by glancing at the couple, a moment she described as “empowering”.
“It was really hard,” she said.
“For a long time I was actually lying with my head down, it was really hard, I just had to focus on my breathing.
“And then I just saw them and I just couldn’t stop looking, I kept looking at them.
“It was a great feeling of empowerment that they no longer controlled you, they were put in such a vulnerable position.
“In a way, it was very powerful to see.”
Aviva’s Sexual Assault Customer Service Manager, Jo Bader, assisted victims in this case.
She believed that some of the Mama Hooch trial was not always in favor of the survivors.
“Many of them were facilitating offenders, they were on bail until they were convicted of very serious multiple charges,” she said.
“It is very important that it is theirs [survivors] come back now to talk about them, about what is important to them and what is necessary.
“I’m sure many of them will feel vindicated and vindicated.”
Danny and Roberto Jaz will be sentenced on August 24 and 25.
Source link – https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/victims-relief-naming-mama-hooch-pair