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National | Abuse

Police look into allegations of Awanui Black and paedophile ring

Police are looking into the allegations of a paedophile ring in Tauranga and beyond.

It comes after an emotional Facebook video post by Anihera Black, the former wife of Te Awanuiārangi Black, who claimed her husband and others had preyed on children.

“He became a predator, a recruiter, a teacher, a pimp, a ringleader of one of the many child-adult sex rings here in his beloved Tauranga Moana and he took that shit nationwide with all of his contacts in every stream of life,” she said.

“They would recruit the innocent after extracting their will and share them around like a box of beer consuming every last drop and discarding the empty vessels into the gutter, soulless, cold and broken.”

Awanui Black died in 2016 at the age of 48 from organ failure.  He had served as an iwi leader, regional councilor, Māori language commissioner, treaty negotiator and lecturer.

His wife’s post on Saturday had generated more than 170,000 views by this morning with thousands of messages of support and the hashtag #ISTANDWITHANI.

Sobbing throughout the video, Anihera Black claimed her husband had been a victim of sexual abuse which in turn was replicated in his adult life.  She said she was sorry and devastated and encouraged others to speak out.

“Take back the power of the secret.  It has no power in the light.  Give yourself permission to be heard, be it a whisper of a blood-curdling scream.  Just be heard.  So I’m talking to you, those of you who live in the secret, those who are on secret, rise up and take back your power,” she said.

Police confirmed they were aware of the video and would be seeking further information but would make no further comment at this time.