POLICE MINISTER: Anne Tolley announces an inquiry into the police investigation of the Roast Busters sex case.

An alleged victim of the Roast Busters group has claimed one of the youths was referred to sexual offending counselling by police but never went.

The Roast Busters, a group of Auckland youths, understood to be aged 17 and 18, have allegedly had group sex with drunk teenage girls and bragged about it online. Some girls complained to police, but prosecutions were not brought.

The girl, who was 13 at the time of the alleged attack, told 3News that police "couldn't make him go" to counselling, but that it had been "paid for".

Hi5 ROAST BUSTERS: Two members of the group Joseph Parker, 18, and Beraiah Hales, 17.

She was one of four girls who went to police over incidents involving Roast Busters. She went through the process of making her complaint with police formal via an evidential video interview.

The other girls were all aged between 13 and 15.

She has now said she will lay a second complaint with police because her alleged attackers were "sick boys that were twisted in the head".

AIMEE GULLIVER POLICE COMMISSIONER: ‘‘The minister also advised me she wanted to make a formal compliant to the IPCA. That is a position I fully support.’’

She also told 3News that one of her alleged attackers was a police officer's son.

Waitemata district superintendent Bill Searle told 3News he could not confirm that: "We can't confirm or deny that because it could prejudice a fair trial."

Searle also tried to assure the public all complaints laid with police were dealt with equal seriousness.

Police confirmed to 3News they had more information which could reveal the identity of more victims.

Earlier Prime Minister John Key slammed the police handling of the Roast Busters case as "disappointing", and "frankly, not good enough".

"This is a very serious issue. Parents around New Zealand will want to know that in the event their daughters make a complaint to police it's taken seriously, and actually, we're entitled to know all of the facts up front. "

He said Police Minister Anne Tolley was "absolutely right" in referring the matter to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).

"It's not a great situation when you leave your minister in the dark, and that feels like the situation we've been left in.

"In the end the IPCA will do a full inquiry and I guess we'll understand the semantics around whether something's actually a complaint or a formal complaint."

Key said it was "worrying" the minister only found out a formal complaint had been laid through the media, rather than from police.

"In the end we don't know how those complaints were made, we don't know the details, that is a matter for the police," he said.

"But it is a very important piece of information, that when this story broke earlier in the week, that rather than running around saying 'we didn't know anything about it, the only thing that could be done was through the legislation the Government was passing about cyber bullying,' that in fact actually, these four young women had made complaints.

"And the fact that those complaints had been followed up on - some people would potentially draw the conclusion that actually this thing might have been closed down a lot earlier."

He reiterated earlier comments that the behaviour was "abhorrent and disturbing".

"There's two parts to this; potentially, there's underage sex and that's worrying to any parent.

"The second really worrying part is that these guys have been boasting about that behaviour online and that is a very serious matter. These are fragile young girls that could potentially take their own lives.

"We already know that one of them has considered that."

CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY

Tolley has issued a warning to Parliament that rhetoric around police handling of the investigation into the Roast Busters case could prejudice the opportunity to bring any offenders to account.

Tolley was forced to answer questions in the house today over her decision to refer the current police investigation to the IPCA.

"I caution this house that the investigations are ongoing and we should be very careful that we do not say anything that might prejudice bringing some of these young men to account."

She said MPs should not "jump to conclusions".

"The police have very strict protocols around the investigation of sexual assault charges and allegations. It is my expectation that police will adhere to those," she said.

"They've done tremendous work over the last years to raise their performance to focus it on the needs of victims and I would be extremely disappointed if they had not lived up to those standards.

"That is one of the reasons I have taken this so seriously, that I have taken the unprecedented step of referring this to the IPCA for investigation."

Tolley said she could not comment on proposals to develop a specialist sexual violence court because it was not her area of responsibility.

"These cases are extremely complex. One of the difficulties is trying to separate out a particular set of charges, around these assault cases and try them in a different way from some of the other aspects of that case - in which case you would be putting the victims through that process twice.

"It is ongoing, the Minister of Justice has made it clear that she is willing to talk with police and her department about some ways of easing the process for these young women, but these are very difficult cases to take to court and to prove."

INDEPENDENT INQUIRY

Tolley has asked for an independent investigation into the police handling of the Roast Busters case, saying it has been "poorly handled".

Four girls have come forward over incidents involving the Roast Busters group, police confirmed today after earlier saying there had been no formal complaints. Three girls came forward in 2011 and one girl came forward in 2012, police said.

Of the four one girl had gone through the process of making her complaint formal via an evidential video interview.

Tolley said she had written to the IPCA and asked them to investigate the Auckland case, particularly the questioning of a 13-year-old girl in 2011.

The minister said she would want the IPCA to look at claims that police asked the victim what kind of clothes she was wearing.

"Parents of young girls need to have confidence that complaints to police about sexual assault are investigated thoroughly and appropriately," she said.

Tolley met with Police Commissioner Peter Marshall this morning. She said he had assured her that the inquiry had been thorough and that there was a comprehensive investigation into the victim's complaint.

"However, I have made it clear to the commissioner that I am disappointed that the full facts have not been available to me or to him.

"I don't expect to be told finer details of police operations. Police must remain independent of politicians. But I do expect police to be talking to each other.''

Tolley said as a minister she could not delve into the details of a police investigation.

"But the IPCA does have the power to carry out an independent assessment of the details surrounding these events, and I believe this is the right course of action to ensure the public has confidence in the police on this matter.

"I would again urge any young women who have been affected to come forward and talk to police as a first step in gathering evidence which can be used to bring people to justice."

She said video boasting of a crime coupled with a formal complaint did not necessarily provide enough evidence.

"Just because you say you've done something that doesn't mean you actually did it."

Tolley said her request to the IPCA was not a vote of "no confidence" in the police.

"If we'd had the information right at the beginning, that there had been a formal complaint from one of the girls involved, that there had been an investigation involved but no evidence, we wouldn't be standing here today."

Tolley said work had been done to change an "embedded" culture among police dealing with sexual offences and there was "some frustration" that wasn't happening fast enough.

POLICE BOSS: A FRESH LOOK IS NEEDED

Marshall said he was also disappointed he had not been appraised of the complaint.

''The information as I received it was related to [Tolley's] office.

''The minister also advised me she wanted to make a formal complaint to the IPCA. That is a position I fully support.''

Marshall believed an investigation into the organisation's handling of the Roast Busters' activities would come to a ''completely different'' conclusion to that being offered by the media.

Marshall denied Tolley's step of making a complaint to the IPCA was embarrassing.

''I want there to be a fresh look at it. I'm confident that a fresh look will put a completely different angle on it."

Marshall expressed full confidence in Searle, who had earlier told him police had received no formal complaints from the alleged victims.

''He's a fine man and he's got his heart in the right place. He wants to do the right thing and he will do the right thing. No question at all, and I have full confidence in him.''

Searle said he would be investigating whether police had misled him over information provided that there had been no formal complaints laid by any of the victims.

Marshall said he was told late yesterday that a formal complaint was laid and he "immediately" phoned the minister's office.

He said the women who went to police had been seen by officers again ''weeks ago''.

''It hasn't happened as a result of this expose."

The young men had been spoken to on at least a couple of occasions, he said.

Police did need more complaints but parents of the victims had asked police not to approach them again, Marshall said.

"There are a number of evidential points that need to be placed by a court.

"You only have one chance at this."

DISTRICT COMMANDER: OFFICERS WILL BE HELD TO ACCOUNT

Earlier today Searle said he was "not briefed appropriately" by his officers.

"What may have occurred is that a decision was made by the investigation team with the best of intentions, and through a review we may find we can look at that in a different way with the evidence that's come in in the last couple of days," he told Newstalk ZB.

"I'm comfortable the police officers did their best, whether it could have been better - we will find out."

He would cooperate with an IPCA inquiry.

Searle said he was "very concerned" at claims police did not take the 13-year-old's complaint seriously and insinuated she was partly responsible for any offending due to what she was wearing. He said any officers who acted inappropriately would be "held to account".

"I was briefed there was no formal complaint, but as far as I'm concerned that [the evidential video] was a formal complaint.

"I'd just like to apologise to her for any stress that this would have caused, because undoubtedly this could have caused her extra stress, and I'd just like to apologise to her for that."

He said the details were measured against solicitor-general's guidelines, and investigators on the case at the time assessed the complaint was not enough to follow through with a prosecution.

Searle confirmed he was having that decision reviewed in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, he confirmed that a search had been conducted and items seized following interviews with two boys who came forward to police after news of the group came to light earlier in the week.

GET HELP IN CONFIDENCE

ACC strategy manager sexual violence Emma Powell said any victims who needed support could access it through ACC without having to lay a formal complaint.

"ACC is here to help victims of sexual assault, and can provide up to 16 sessions of immediate counselling support by a registered sexual abuse counsellor for anyone who lodges a sensitive claim. This support can be accessed even if the victim chooses not to lay a complaint with police.

"For victims dealing with the significant effects from sexual assault, accessing counselling support can make a considerable difference to recovery, and it's never too late to seek help."

For more information and assistance, ACC's Sensitive Claims Unit can be contacted directly, and in complete confidence, on 0800 735 566.