Auckland police have reopened a chilling cold case from 2004 in which two schoolgirls, Makere Edmonds-Piripi and an unnamed friend, claimed they were kidnapped and sexually assaulted over three harrowing days by four men in a van.
Edmonds-Piripi, now 36, shared with legacy media how the traumatic event has permanently altered her life, forcing her to live in constant fear and seclusion. She has not left her home for three years, relying heavily on her partner and paid caregivers to manage her anxiety. The ordeal left both victims with deep psychological scars; Edmonds-Piripi expressed her disappointment in the police for failing to secure justice at the time, despite the presence of DNA evidence.
The girls, then teenagers, were allegedly abducted after ignoring catcalls from the men near Myers Park, forced into a van and subjected to horrific abuses, including being coerced into performing sexual acts under threat of violence.
Their escape came on the third day when Edmonds-Piripi led the pair to safety in Henderson, where a kind stranger took them in and called the police. Despite initial police investigations where DNA evidence was collected and one suspect questioned, no charges were filed due to claims of consent, which the victims vehemently deny.
With new DNA technology and a fresh review of the case, both women are now hopeful for closure and ready for justice, with efforts underway to identify the compassionate stranger who aided their escape.
