Wawata | How it works

People often choose not to report because they feel alone, fear they won’t be believed, and don’t have the confidence to navigate the legal system on their own.

We also know that most people just don’t want the same thing to happen to someone else. By standing together and seeking accountability as a group, we can break that cycle of harm and stop history repeating itself.

  • Registration

    Individuals who have experienced sexual harm register on Tika’s secure online platform. They provide identifying information about themselves, the perpetrator and the nature of the sexual harm they have experienced.

  • Available support

    Clients are informed of optional support services including counselling. These services are provided by external organisations and are government funded.

  • Matching of clients

    Bespoke AI technology automatically checks for any other registered clients who have identified the same perpetrator.

  • Group formation

    Each client is told how many other clients are in their group. They are not identified to each other and they do not discuss their experience with each other at this stage.

  • Legal advice

    Each client in the group receives advice on the available legal pathways in the criminal and civil justice systems. This includes reporting to NZ Police, Human Rights Commission or a regulatory body like the Teachers Council. There are other legal pathways including mediating a private settlement. 

  • Decision making

    Each client in the group votes on their preferred legal pathway. They can also choose the non-legal pathway which involves meeting with the clients they’ve matched with in order to provide each other with support.

  • Group takes collective legal action

    Each group is represented by a Tika lawyer from start to finish. Clients in the group will be identified to each other at the appropriate time, likely after they have provided their evidence in a court or tribunal.

FAQs

  • Yes, we welcome people of all genders.

  • No, there’s no charge to join Tika as a client.

  • No, you can join if you have experienced assault, childhood sexual abuse, online harm, or sexual harassment. This may have happened at home, in your workplace, church, school or university, a sports or other kind of club, or in the community.

  • Yes, there is no time limit. We welcome anyone who has experienced sexual harm as children, teenagers, or adults. The only requirement is that you are aged 16+ at the time you join Tika.

  • No, we need you to provide your name, contact details and identification like your drivers licence or passport. This is for your own safety and ensures that no one joins Tika with a fake identity to compromise the integrity of our service, such as a perpetrator.

  • We have made our registration process as simple as possible, but there is some mandatory information we need from you. Your information will be stored securely.

  • When you register with Tika you enter into a lawyer / client relationship with a Tika lawyer. This means that your information will not be shared with anyone unless you provide permission. Your information cannot be requested by anyone, including the perpetrator, under legislation like the Privacy Act.

  • No. Tika’s platform will be safe and secure and the details of your perpetrator will not be shared publicly. At the end of the legal process, a judge or disciplinary tribunal may decide to name the perpetrator or the perpetrator may get name suppression.

  • We’re building a unique new platform which uses AI to help find out whether your perpetrator has harmed others who have also registered with Tika. The safe and secure technology will use the information you provided in your registration form about the perpetrator to check whether others have entered the same information. This includes the perpetrator’s name, as well as unique identifiers such as their email address, phone number, social media handle, photo or other information about the perpetrator. That’s why it’s good to enter as much information as you can remember. If it finds a match with another client, we’ll let you know.

  • That depends on whether other clients have identified the same perpetrator. It could be instantly, or it could take weeks, months or years. If you decide you don’t want to wait, you can report to NZ Police via Tika’s platform at any time.

  • Once two clients match, a group is formed. Any additional matched clients are added to the group when they join Tika.

  • That’s entirely your decision, and you can change your mind at any time.

  • You will not be forced to do anything you don’t feel comfortable with and can withdraw at any time.