Victims' rights advocate Louise Nicholas had her house burgled yesterday and thieves rummaged through her underwear drawer to take a watch.
Mrs Nicholas told the Rotorua Daily Post that she felt "bloody violated" after burglars broke into her Rotorua home yesterday.
Items stolen included laptops, an iPad, a wallet and a phone.
"I'm a survivor of sexual violence and that was a trigger [to feeling violated]. I've not been violated but I feel I have. I've had people in my home rummaging through my drawers. It's a huge violation on anyone," she said.
She lived in the house with her father who was usually at home, but had gone out yesterday afternoon.
"It has to be kids, I had stuff like jewellery in my drawer but the only thing they took was my gold watch that the kids gave me," Mrs Nicholas said.
"I'm grateful they didn't trash the place, they came in, they took and they left. I'm thankful for that but I'm gutted for my dad. His phone and iPad were his lifeline.
"It's been an eye opener. Many years ago we had a Rottweiler, I think it's time we reinvested in another one. Dogs are a deterrent."
Mrs Nicholas was last month made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the prevention of sexual violence.
Her fight for justice in 2004 sparked public protests and the creation of Operation Austin to investigate alleged sexual offending by former Assistant Commissioner Clint Rickards and his ex-colleagues Brad Shipton and Bob Schollum.