Warning: This article discusses rape and contains details that may disturb.
Name suppression has lapsed for the father of Danny and Roberto Jaz, the two men who drugged and sexually assaulted women in Christchurch.
And it can be revealed Michael Jaz owned Mama Hooch bar and restaurant Venuti where most of the drugging and sexual assaults took place.
Michael left New Zealand shortly after the crimes came to light and Newshub understands he hasn't been back in the country since.
Name suppression has also lapsed for Davide Jaz, a third brother. He was never charged but was involved in most of the chat groups where the men targeted women for sexual conquests.
Davide also worked in the hospitality business.
Danny and Roberto went about years of horrifying offending against their customers and own staff.
They were earlier this year convicted on a total of 69 sex crimes and drugging charges.
Danny worked at Mama Hooch and Roberto was a chef at nearby restaurant Venuti in central Christchurch. It was at these two venues over a period of years the men targeted their young female customers, spiking their drinks and then often sexually assaulting or raping them.
The two men facilitated the planned and determined drugging of many young women to assault and violate them. Many of it happened in the bar and in the toilets, sometimes the women were taken to nearby Venuti when it was closed and sometimes it happened at Roberto's home.
The Crown told the court, in its opening address of Danny and Roberto's trial, it was all a grand plan when they opened the bar in 2015 and named it Mama Hooch.
"A play on the term 'Hoochy Mama', defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a young woman, especially a promiscuous one or in a sexually provocative way," Crown prosecutor Andrew McRae said.
The offending happened throughout all the years the bar was open. The young female clients were fair game as far as Danny and Roberto were concerned; commodities to be used and abused as they saw fit.
Danny, the oldest, would commonly offer the women free drinks that were spiked, before following them into the bar's toilet to assault and violate them. Or they would drug them and walk them down to Venuti where they'd give them more drugs and assault or rape them.
Years into Roberto and Danny's offending, things started to unravel for the Jaz brothers. They were getting a reputation.
And in July 2018, two brave young women, just teenagers, went to the police the morning after they were drugged and assaulted which led the police to start digging.
Media coverage around this saw many women previously ashamed and embarrassed come forward to the police.
And, ultimately, it ended in a two-month trial which found them guilty on almost every sex charge and many drugging charges. Finally, eight years after their offending started, Danny and Roberto were to pay the price for their predatory, criminal behaviour against so many young women in the prime of their lives.
They will be sentenced next month.
Where to find help and support:
- Shine (domestic violence) - 0508 744 633
- Women's Refuge - 0800 733 843 (0800 REFUGE)
- Need to Talk? - Call or text 1737
- What's Up - 0800 WHATS UP (0800 942 8787)
- Lifeline - 0800 543 354
- Youthline - 0800 376 633, text 234, email talk@youthline.co.nz or online chat
- Samaritans - 0800 726 666
- Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757
- Suicide Crisis Helpline - 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
- Shakti Community Council - 0800 742 584
