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A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a man while her partner was sleeping next to her is furious a judge granted him bail.
The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, met a man at a train station a year ago and they struck up a conversation.
"He was with his mates and looked pretty rough and rugged. It was Covid and he had a bandana over his face. We got talking on the train and I thought, 'wow, what an amazing guy'."
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Advertise with NZME.When the train stopped in West Auckland the woman offered the man a joint. She phoned her partner who lived nearby to join them.
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"We talked extensively about our kids, drugs, the f*** ups we'd made in life. He told me he'd lost his partner so we had an extensive conversation and I didn't feel threatened in the slightest, we even exchanged phone numbers."
They said goodbye to each other and the woman went back to her partner's home. The woman and her partner watched some television and fell asleep.
At 2.20am the woman said she woke up to a "full on" kiss on her lips and her breast being bitten savagely.
"I thought it was my partner who was randy and wanted to 'get it on'…I felt something wasn't right. It wasn't until I reached out on the bed and realised my partner were lying right beside me. I thought 'oh my f***ing god, if my partner is lying beside me who the hell is this man on top of me'?"
The woman froze.
The intruder got off the bed and the woman yelled at her partner to "wake up". He initially didn't believe the woman and decided to check the footage being recorded on his sensor motion camera, which the woman didn't even know existed.
"When the guy bolted my partner showed me the footage and he called the police. At this point I am absolutely terrified and in shock. I'm thinking is this real? Is this a nightmare? I start slapping myself there was no way in hell this was real."
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Advertise with NZME.After viewing the footage, police arrested a man who they allege is the same person the woman met at the train station. He was later charged.
"The footage shows [a man] breaking in. The door was open because it was a hot night. He walks into the bedroom, stares at me and starts before he kisses me and bites my breast.
The woman also felt "sick" when she discovered her partner had a motion sensored camera which captured the couple having sex.
"The police asked me if I knew I was being taped having sex. I had no idea, when I found out I walked out of his bedsit and have never looked back."
In 1996 the woman was kidnapped and raped by a killer while he was out on bail.
The accused was released on bail at the end of last year.
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Advertise with NZME.She is warning women to: "Lock your doors and windows this guy is dangerous. If he's done what he did to me with my partner lying beside me - anything is possible.
"I felt like I was raped again. He invaded my safe space and I now wake up at 2.20 every morning. I am still traumatised about what's happened and terrified he will find me. I can't believe a judge gave him bail."
Where to get help:
• If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone call the confidential crisis helpline Safe to Talk on: 0800 044 334 or text 4334. (available 24/7)
• Better Blokes which provides peer support throughout Auckland, including a specific Pacific group.
• Male Survivors Aotearoa offers a range of confidential support at centres across New Zealand - find your closest one here.
• Mosaic - Tiaki Tangata: 0800 94 22 94 (available 11am - 8pm)
• If you have been abused, remember it's not your fault.
