In 2023, Danny and Roberto Jaz were convicted of 69 charges between them, including rape, sexual violation, indecent assault, stupefying, disabling, making intimate recordings of women without their knowledge or consent and supplying illicit drugs.
After an unsuccessful High Court appeal against their sentences and some of the convictions, the New Zealand Herald reports they have now taken their case to the Court of Appeal.
A date has not yet been set for a hearing.
Their offending took place at Mama Hooch and nearby Venuti, a bar and restaurant in central Christchurch run by the Jaz family.
After a judge-alone trial in the Christchurch District Court spanning more than three months, Danny Jaz was sentenced in August 2023 to 16-and-a-half years in prison for drugging and or violating 19 women.
On the same day, Roberto Jaz was sentenced to 17 years behind bars for offending against eight women. Both men were ordered to serve at least half of their sentences before they are eligible for parole.
Many of their victims were staff or patrons of the Mama Hooch bar in Colombo St or at Venuti.
At their sentencing, Judge Paul Mabey told the pair the level of their offending was unprecedented in New Zealand.
"You helped yourself to young women with callous disregard for their rights and their dignity, their youth," Judge Mabey said.
The pair previously appealed the convictions, claiming the judge was biased, made errors assessing evidence and breached their fair trial rights by refusing to allow closing submissions.
Where to get help:
- NZ Police.
- Victim Support 0800 842 846.
- Rape Crisis: 0800 88 33 00.
- Rape Prevention Education.
- Empowerment Trust.
- HELP (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655.
- Safe to talk: 0800 044 334.
- Tautoko Tāne Male Survivors Aotearoa.
- Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496.
-Allied Media
