NZPC Auckland

23/04/2026

A police report in 2022. Once police started investigating they found out the man had conned two other s*x workers.

One was promised $2000 for unprotected s*x, providing she got a health check-up to confirm she was clear of s*xually transmitted diseases. She asked the man to do the same - but he sent her what turned out to be a fake test result.

The third woman was paid $1500 the first time she had s*x with the man. But the next time they met, the promised $2000 never showed up in her bank account.

As the case tracked through the court system, two charges of r**e were withdrawn before the man’s lawyer sought to dismiss the third.

Prosecutor Helen Brown had argued that consent must be full, voluntary, free and informed, and that the women would never have agreed to have s*x with the man if they knew he hadn’t paid.

The man’s lawyer, David Dickinson, said case law did not support the laying of the charge where consent had been obtained by fraud.

Judge Glubb dismissed the third r**e charge. In his judgment, he said the law needed to be changed before an act of fraud-affected consent could be considered.

He concluded that fraud of this nature was beyond the scope of section 128a of the Crimes Act, which details consent.

The man was sentenced in January to 10 months’ home detention and ordered to pay reparation for what Judge Glubb described as “cynical and deliberate” offending against vulnerable victims.

For Ruby, the dropping of the r**e charges was difficult to accept.
“Before even having those conversations I was googling ‘what is consent, what’s coercion, what’s grooming’, and all of those things pretty much described what had happened to me.

“Of all the laws that need to be changed, this one should probably be prioritised a little bit more.”

Aotearoa New Zealand S*x Workers’ Collective’s national coordinator Dame Catherine Healy is also calling for a law change to align with New South Wales and Victoria.

“It is a tremendously negative experience for a s*x worker when they go through this and it certainly feels like s*xual assault and r**e. The harm needs to be acknowledged and legislation can address some of that, just the absence of it, it’s really upsetting.”

Healy said most s*x workers would know someone who has not paid them for services and it was “really important” to report such offending to police.

“S*x workers would not agree to be having s*x without payment in these contexts. It’s a deliberate act. And it leaves s*x workers feeling that like they’ve been s*xually assaulted, something’s happened that’s terribly jarring.”

The Government’s Chief Victims Advisor, Ruth Money, said such offending is “abhorrent”.

Her advice to the Government is that “we need to make this relatively simple, but incredibly important change”.

“I don’t believe it would be a difficult change to make given we have coercion and stealthing as being illegal…we need to call it what it is, which is s*xual assault.”

Detective Sergeant Ilona Walton, who oversaw the case, said Ruby was the first victim to come forward and the others were identified through the police investigation.

“Police understand that this type of offending is likely very under-reported and there’s possibly lots more victims who for a variety of reasons choose not to come forward.”

At the man’s sentencing, it was revealed he had told a report writer that there were other victims.

Ruby encouraged them to make a police complaint.

“The more cases that are reported, the more pressure is put on the court system to do something about it, and this is a crime. It should be r**e, but it's not r**e, so just report it for whatever you can.”

S*xual violence: where to get help

R**e Crisis 0800 88 33 00, click link for local helplines.

Victim Support 0800 842 846.

Safetalk text 4334, phone 0800 044 334 webchat safetotalk.nz or email [email protected].

The Harbour Online support and information for people affected by s*xual abuse.

Women’s Refuge 0800 733 843

Male Survivors Aotearoa Helplines across NZ, click to find out more (males only).

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111.

If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation, click the Shielded icon at the bottom of this website to contact Women's Refuge in a safe and anonymous way without it being traced in your browser history. If you're in our app, visit the mobile website here to access Shielded.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360962930/he-faked-2000-payment-s*x-law-says-it-wasnt-r**e

Three women, fake payments and the case exposing a gap in New Zealand law.

21/04/2026

S*xy, strong and dignified are just some of the words to describe Joy, who is thought to be the first statue of a mythical s*x worker.

In a short dress that shows off her long legs and with cigarette in hand, the woman casually leans against a doorframe.

"Joy is the embodiment of every woman who has worked hard to support her family, put food on the table," says Julie Bates, a founding member of the Australian Prostitutes' Collective.

"Joy just happens to be a s*x worker."

Joy was originally installed in 1995 and stood on her plinth until 1997 in Darlinghurst, in Sydney's east.

She is a tribute to the working girls of the area and the state's decriminalisation of the industry — a world first.

She had many fans but also many critics, including some in the industry.

Eventually, Joy was removed from her plinth in 1997 after vandalism and an 18-month campaign by a resident action group.

She remained in the care of Macquarie University for 25 years, until the Bring Back Joy campaign, spearheaded by Bates along with historian Catherine Freyne and artist Loui May (née Fraser), successfully achieved her return to Darlinghurst.

In the late 1970s, the Summary Offences Act was repealed by the NSW state government.

While brothels were still criminalised, Darlinghurst saw an influx of street-based s*x work, said historian Catherine Freyne.

By the time of Joy's installation, NSW had become the first jurisdiction in the world to decriminalise s*x work completely.

Bates said s*x workers played a pivotal role in promoting safe s*x during the outbreak of HIV.

"We were the cheerleaders of safe s*x. We were the ones who were using condoms way before they could be used in brothels because they [brothels] were illegal," she said.

Initially, Joy sparked confusion among some of those working in the s*x industry.

When Chantell Martin, a former s*x worker who was working in the area, was told about the statue, she dismissed it.

"I said 'I never saw it, you're telling me lies'," she recalled.

In the beginning, she and others questioned why it had been installed.

"It's what we do for a living and we cop all the discrimination and stigma on top of that," said Martin.

"All of a sudden you're going to put a bloody statue there and really put a target on our back."

After taking a stroll to visit Joy with some of her fellow working girls, Martin conceded that Joy was one of them.

Joy was embraced by the s*x worker community and inspired the Joy Awards, an annual event that recognised workers who advocated for greater respect of the industry.

Joy ignited great interest within the local community when she was installed but she also had many detractors, said historian Catherine Freyne.

"Historically, I think Joy was a lightning rod for controversy," she said.

At the time of Joy's installation, Darlinghurst was going through a shift, swapping scandalous strip clubs for upmarket cafes.

May believes the local residents were critical of the statue because they didn't want to be reminded of the area's controversial history.

Those who opposed the original installation included Beppi Polese who owned Beppi's, the star-studded fine dining restaurant opposite the sculpture.

My father didn't really like the fact that a statue of a pr******te was put up there," says his son, Marc Polese.

"Being old-school, I suppose he thought it was sinful and associated with criminality."

The hatred for Joy reached its peak when she was vandalised, leaving damage to her face and hacking off her left hand.

Instead of anger, May's response was compassion.

When she went to repair the statue, May was approached by Joy's attacker, who explained her reaction to Joy.

Unlike at the time of Joy's installation, the majority of s*x work has now moved from the streets to over the phone or online.

"By having Joy come back to the area will not increase it [s*x work] and make it a red-light area, that happened once upon a time, it won't ever happen again," said former s*x worker Chantell Martin.

"What we want is: we want the history to be there, and Joy is that history."

Former Sydney councillor Linda Scott was an early ally to the Bring Back Joy campaign and resolved to move a motion at council to return the statue to Darlinghurst.

"That's not acceptable."

For Scott, Joy represents a movement of bringing women's faces back to Sydney's public art.

"Restoring Joy is about bringing the true history of Sydney back to life."

After 30 years away, Joy finally returned to her Stanley Street corner.

Instead of using cement and marble dust, this time a replica of Joy was created, cast in bronze to protect her from potential damage.

"It [Joy] will last forever," said May.

While there had been a lot of advancements for the industry, s*x workers still needed anti-discrimination protections, said Bates.

"Without that we are still vulnerable … you go to a bank and ask for a loan, even though you've got a long record of savings, but you're a s*x worker — forget it," she said.

"We might have largely decriminalised the industry, but people can still discriminate against us."

Bates believes having a monument to s*x workers in a global city like Sydney is an important step in stripping back that discrimination.

"Joy will take her place amongst others, in starting to further dismantle pejorative stereotypes."

During her short residency in Sydney, the statue of s*x worker Joy had many detractors and was even vandalised. Thirty years later, she has returned, with her supporters hoping she will dismantle stereotypes that still plague the industry.

11/04/2026

A Human Rights Review Tribunal has found an Auckland primary school unlawfully collected and misused sensitive medical information about a mother and her son, resulting in prejudicial treatment of the pair by staff and ending with an expensive settlement. Herald journalist Mike Scott examines the case and why the school remains unnamed.

The tribunal found staff at the Auckland primary school unlawfully collected and misused highly sensitive medical information about the mother and her son. The information included past drug use and s*x work by the mum.

The tribunal determined the information should never have been in the school’s possession and was used to form prejudicial views that shaped how mother and child were treated poorly and differently to others while he attended the school, causing humiliation, loss of dignity and harm.

The mother and son have been awarded more than $29,000 in damages.

“It’s quite disheartening knowing that it’s historical information that has no relevance whatsoever to me as a mum then,” the mother told the Herald after the tribunal ruling was released last month.

“And now it has tarnished what should be one of my child’s best childhood memories – starting school.”

However, the tribunal has permanently suppressed the name of the school and the identities of its staff to protect the child from future discrimination.

The tribunal’s ruling was a vindication, particularly as it found her testimony credible, she said.

However, the tribunal’s non‑publication order meant no one would know which school had acted wrongly or which staff were
responsible.

“I’m so frustrated ... where’s the accountability?

“What did the school do to fix that problem so it would never happen again? We don’t know.”

The Herald sought comment from the school but has yet to receive a response.

The Ministry of Education said individual schools were responsible for handling sensitive information appropriately. The ministry was not automatically involved in tribunal proceedings involving schools.

It also may not be aware of cases, particularly where suppression or non‑publication orders apply, the ministry’s group general manager for operational standards and support Helen Hurst said.

The mother understands the reasons for the non-publication order but is still disappointed.

“I slept like a baby the night I got the ruling back, it was like a weight was off my shoulders.

“It was finally out there, even though we didn’t like the name suppression ... we didn’t want that.”

The ruling came after years of attempting to retrieve the medical records from the school and get acknowledgment of wrongdoing from various agencies.

“I probably wouldn’t have gone to the Human Rights Tribunal” had the school acknowledged wrongly using the medical records, she said.

“I probably would’ve accepted their apology and moved on and everything would be okay.”

The school was ordered to pay $29,100 in damages to the mother and her son.

“It wasn’t about the money. It was about getting justice.

“I didn’t do all this and go through all the stress and all the anxiety just to let them get away with it, especially knowing that I was in the right and they were wrong.”

The school unlawfully held an 11-page file on the mother’s past medical history.

12/03/2026

A new study confirms what the s*x industry has long said: diligent s*x workers are professionals when it comes to avoiding some s*xually transmitted infections.

A new study published in the New Zealand Medical Journal on Friday shows that cisgender-female s*x workers - so not male or transgender-female s*x workers - who were tested at the Aotearoa New Zealand S*x Workers’ Collective (NZPC) clinic in Auckland had lower numbers of positive gonorrhoea and chlamydia results than females who attended a nearby general s*xual health clinic. This mirrors similar results from overseas studies that looked at the s*xual health of s*x workers.

A new study confirms what the s*x industry has long said: diligent s*x workers are professionals when it comes to avoiding some s*xually transmitted infections.

10/02/2026

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has been selected to host the 30th Scientific Symposium of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) in 2028, marking the first time the global event will be held in Oceania.

Running from 5 to 10 November 2028, the symposium will bring together an estimated 1,300 clinicians, researchers, educators, policymakers, and community leaders from around the world to advance evidence-based, person-centred transgender healthcare.

https://gayexpress.co.nz/2026/02/auckland-to-host-worlds-largest-transgender-health-symposium-in-2028/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAP4RtJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe0ahjodCfdnsG6-RL4OwrzgxpvtXGB6O5BkTFlmZITP64KLJCL_JN39jzffg_aem_SQBkuNj0107ObKEmCRwdcQ

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland has been selected to host the 30th Scientific Symposium of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) in 2028, marking the first time the global eve…

07/02/2026

For decades, Manchester St in central Christchurch has been known for street-based s*x work. But for the roughly 25 women who take to the street each week, the job – and the risks – have changed.

A s*x worker memorial seat on Manchester St was recently refurbished, the new plaque was unveiled.

Suz Merrett, Dame Catherine Healy and Sha Harris from Aotearoa New Zealand S*x Workers’ Collective, unveiled a new plaque honouring women who have worked, lived and died on Manchester St on Tuesday. The red umbrella is the international symbol for s*x worker rights.

Aotearoa New Zealand S*x Workers’ Collective (NZPC) advocates for s*x worker rights. It also provides wraparound support for women in the industry, and women wanting to leave it.

Founder Dame Catherine Healy says safety has improved considerably since s*x work was decriminalized in 2003, but there is “still a long way to go”.

NZPC is advocating for an “affirmative consent” law change that recognises consent cannot be given “by fraudulent inducement”.

There’s a law like that in Australia. In Victoria, it is recognised that s*x workers do not give consent based on “false or misleading representation” that they will be paid money.

Healy says deception, and therefore violation of s*x workers, is a common problem, and the law needs to keep up.

Street outreach co-ordinator Suz Merrett spends most nights on Manchester St, supporting women with everything from s*xual health checks and police complaints to housing. She’s done so for the best part of 15 years.

Inspector Ash Tabb says police work closely with the s*x industry and NZPC to build trust, and help address s*xual violence and exploitation.

“It’s important that people feel able to come forward and report their experiences to police,” he says.

“We listen and treat complainants with respect, we provide advice on pathways forward, and we involve them in decision making.”

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360933195/life-after-dark-christchurchs-central-city-red-light-district?fbclid=IwZnRzaAP1OB5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeSJydcz-FSNpPZUkVaHb6KzWqMTvBKs4wO-I9V9JBMRM8J3qy8cdCNnUXmpc_aem_CmRX6vl3udq-wkqxdTKrbg

For the women who take to the street each night, the job - and risks - have changed.

26/01/2026

https://www.instagram.com/p/DT9W1NykpeB/?igsh=N2dnZmlnZGM2NjNm

22/01/2026

Karen Ritchie, of Pōkeno, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year's New Year Honours.

For more than three decades, Karen Ritchiehas been a fierce advocate for LGBTQ+ communities, s*x workers and those affected by Aids and HIV.

When asked why, Ritchie’s answer is simple: “Somebody had to step in and do something.”

Living on Auckland’s Karangahape Rd in the 1980s, Ritchie, now 73, witnessed daily violence against s*x workers and saw HIV and Aids sweeping through the city, bringing fear and stigma to s*x workers and LGBTQ+ communities, who were already facing discrimination.

Many who contracted the disease were being “disowned” by family, isolated and left to die alone, with no treatment available.

Conditions for s*x workers had “certainly got better” since the law change in 2003, but she described the years before that as “a horrible time”.

She said authorities were “so cruel to street workers” and she had seen a lot of “aggression towards the LGBTQ+ and gay community”.

Now retired, and reflecting on her career, she is proud to have been advocating for those communities.

She said she had been supporting the cause so loudly that she was given the nickname “The Mother of K Rd”.

At 73, Karen Ritchie has spent more than three decades fighting stigma and abuse.

22/01/2026

A plaque honouring s*x workers on Manchester St in Christchurch was stolen in December, the plaque is being replaced.

The seat had since been repainted, but it would take a few weeks for the plaque to be replaced.

22/01/2026

Warning: This story discusses s*xual assault.

The victim of a man convicted of s*xual assault after he refused to pay her for s*x-work services says she is relieved the case was prosecuted.

NSW's 2022 consent laws have been used to prosecute non-payment of s*x workers as a s*xual offence, with one of the first convictions under the changed laws.

The case has raised questions about NSW Police's frontline officers' responses to changing legislation and community values.

Victims say NSW Police's frontline officers are still catching up with the changed legislation, which makes non-payment for s*xual services a criminal offence.

22/01/2026

The Helen Clark Foundation is calling for better laws to protect victims of s*xual violence in New Zealand, labelling current practices "inadequate".

"Our research identifies several important gaps in New Zealand law that we must close to increase access to justice for victims and reduce offending. We owe it to the nearly one in four New Zealand adults who have experienced s*xual violence in their lifetime to take action."

The areas for change identified in the report Addressing S*xual Violence in New Zealand are:

Closing the gaps in the justice system to reduce underreporting of s*xual violence and increase the number of cases continuing to resolution

Updating the definition of consent in law to an affirmative 'yes means yes' consent model

Addressing the harm caused by s*xually-explicit deepfakes

Eradicating the practice of 'virginity testing' in New Zealand

The foundation said these changes could be made within existing law or would have potential for support from multiple parties for changes in the law.

The foundation recommended the increased reporting of s*xual violence and reducing the number of cases that don't continue to prosecution, trial or verdict.

"Today's report recommends adopting an affirmative consent model in law, to define when s*xual consent is or is not given, in line with today's modern society."

"The foundation recommends the adoption, with a small modification, of the Deepfake Digital Harm and Exploitation Bill (2025), which modifies the Crimes Act and the Harmful Digital Communications Act to include AI-generated imagery in the definition of 'intimate visual recording'

Its report highlighted four areas it says will create "practical, meaningful and lasting change".