A survivor of the Mama Hooch rapists who cancelled her wedding day due to the trial has launched a fundraiser to help the victims of Danny and Roberto Jaz.

It comes as the Herald revealed earlier today that taxpayers footed the almost $900,000 legal aid bill for the men’s defence.

The brothers were sentenced to significant prison terms after they were convicted of 69 charges between them including rape, sexual violation, indecent assault, stupefying, disabling, making intimate recordings of women without their knowledge or consent and supplying illicit drugs. They are appealing against their convictions and sentences.

Janet*, who can’t be named for legal reasons, told the Herald she was inspired to launch the campaign after hearing the other survivors’ testimonies and of the financial impact of the attacks on them.

 “I just felt like we all have an understanding amongst us survivors that we’ve all been through so much.

“This is my way of giving back to them.”

For her, she had to take time off work, avoid certain situations and had to cancel her wedding date due to the ongoing hearings.

“It’s coming up to that time now [when it would have been], so there’s all these little reminders and you feel a sense of shame that you had to do that. And you can’t really let people know why because it’s so private.”

There were also social costs she said she struggled to articulate and was reminded almost daily of what happened to her.

Suppression orders surrounding the case weighed heavily on the women, she said, impacting their ability to move forward.

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“That [the suppression] probably has helped prolong those other problems.

“We’ve had it suppressed for so long, so a lot of us are just so excited and relieved that we can finally move on and get on with our lives now and we don’t have to live in this secrecy.”

She said there had been talks of creating some kind of memorial or landscape to acknowledge what they had collectively been through.

“What happened was insidious, I think we need something to have a reminder so we won’t forget what happened to us, so we can move on and make sure it never happens again.”

She told the Herald the money would also be split evenly between the women to cover costs like lost wages, jobs, moving cities and therapy bills.

“Some people had to go on WINZ payments until ACC had approved funding for them to have time off work, some people’s studies have been impacted and that can cause a lot of other troubles, and some people weren’t able to work.”

Sophie Brown, the only victim to drop her statutory name suppression in the case, was also on board as a spokesperson for when the fundraiser went live.

Brown said although the men face years behind bars, they were not ordered to pay survivors reparations for their actions, and they were spending taxpayer money to fund their trial.

“While numerical values like years on a sentence, or dollars fundraised can’t undo what these predators have done, uplifting some of the historical financial burden survivors have faced, or giving them an option to support a [cause] of their choice is an incredible blessing.”

Sophie Brown says the attack has had a lasting impact on her life. Photo / Jason Oxenham

Brown went on to thank those who had reached out with support and kind words after she decided to lift her name suppression.

She said conversations about prevention, education, sexual assault and the support of people who have suffered assault are tough but necessary.

“Change doesn’t happen in the silence, it happens when we make noise - working together to choose a safer and more supportive society for everyone.”

Janet began planning the fundraiser soon after the sentencing and said police were on board with her mahi.

“I just want to say that, you know, you now deserve a really fulfilled future and I hope that this givealittle fund will just help you with that.”

She wanted to remain anonymous because she told the Herald she believed the recognition should be with all the survivors for their strength and courage.

The survivor also wanted to thank New Zealanders for supporting their support throughout the case, as well as the police and law firm Buddle Findlay who had offered them pro bono support.

*Janet’s name has been changed for legal reasons

You can donate to the fundraiser here.

Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.

SEXUAL HARM

Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email [email protected]
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.