Whangārei man jailed for forcibly kissing women at a bus terminal

The women were at a bus terminal in Whangārei when they were indecently assaulted by Hare Hiku. Photo / NZME

WARNING: This story details indecent assaults against women.

A convicted child sex offender has been sentenced for forcibly kissing two women he did not know at a busy bus terminal.

Today, Hare Hiku, 43, appeared for sentencing in the Whangārei District Court on two charges of indecent assault.

The court heard that on the afternoon of April 4, 2024, Hiku was on a street in downtown Whangārei when he approached a woman sitting at a bus stop.

He grabbed the woman by the shoulders and upper chest area and whispered in her ear.

When she tried to pull away, Hiku held her with force and kissed her on the cheek, only releasing her when bystanders intervened.

Hiku then walked down the street and approached another woman who was sitting on a bench by the bus terminal.

As he stood over her, he grabbed her by the face and kissed her on the mouth.

She broke free from his hold and several high school students chased the man away.

Hiku was arrested and, following mental health reports, was deemed fit to plead and fit to stand trial.

He pleaded not guilty and elected a judge-alone trial but changed his plea in April.

Judge Tony Couch said it was a difficult and sad matter.

It was revealed in court that Hiku has been convicted on four occasions for indecent assault and has been a registered child sex offender since 2018.

Judge Couch said Hiku had failed on at least four occasions to adhere to his reporting requirements as a registered child sex offender.

The judge accepted that at the time of his latest offending, his sense of right and wrong was impaired and sentenced him to 23 months’ imprisonment.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.