Man charged for K Road assault that resulted in naked protest

Police have now charged a man with assault following an incident on Karangahape Road, following an admission that the case "could have been handled better". Photo / Twitter - @Becs

Police have now charged a man with assault following an incident on Karangahape Rd, following an admission that the case "could have been handled better".

Auckland District Commander Superintendent Karyn Malthus said a woman had been walking down K Rd on January 21 with a friend when a man allegedly got out of his vehicle and assaulted her.

The initial police response to the allegation resulted in two women standing naked outside St Kevin's Arcade, with tape over their mouths and a blood-like substance smeared over their bodies.

The two women had messages written in black pen on their chests and a sign lay before them explaining their protest action and detailing the alleged assaulted back in January.

The women claimed the man hit one of them after they rejected his sexual advances.

They took issue with the police response when they reported what had happened.

"How many women have to die on the streets and in their home before police respond to violence?," it asked.

Malthus confirmed police had last month arrested a 53-year-old man after a woman was assaulted on K Rd.

The man had been charged with assault and was appearing at Auckland District Court today.

"We have been working closely with the victim to establish exactly what happened and address her concerns.

"We have reviewed the procedures and processes around this report, and accept that in this case, it could have been handled better."

"Police want to reassure the public that incidents of this nature are treated seriously and are investigated appropriately."