Launch of Tika: A New Pathway To Justice for Victim-Survivors of Sexual Harm
Launch of Tika: A New Pathway To Justice for Victim-Survivors of Sexual Harm
October 6th, 2026
New Zealand’s first independent way to report sexual harm aims to address the barriers that prevent many victim-survivors from reporting the harm they’ve experienced.
Founded in 2023 by barrister Zoë Lawton and investigative journalist Alison Mau and launched late last month, Tika is a free, secure, private and legally supported platform where adults can report sexual harm and remain in control of what happens next.
Using technology developed over the past two years, the Tika platform can securely identify patterns of harm when multiple victim-survivors report the same person; once a group has been detected, each survivor is oKered independent legal advice before they decide whether to take legal action together. This helps reduce the isolation that can stop
survivors coming forward.
How it works
Any survivor in New Zealand aged 18+ can register and receive immediate lawyer-client privilege which ensures their information remains private and confidential. They can then report details of their experiences and the person responsible – no matter when in their life the harm happened – through a trauma-informed and survivor-focused reporting pathway.
Once their report is submitted, the platform identifies potential matches with others who may have been harmed by the same perpetrator. Where matches are found, survivors can choose to explore legal options together with support from Tika’s specialist legal team.
Tika’s vision is a world where taking legal action against repeat perpetrators is accessible, empowering, and transformative, helping to reduce oKending and create safer communities.
To learn more about Tika or to access the service, visit www.tika.org.nz
*Tika was named in consultation with Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission, which confirmed that in this context, Tika means justice, or putting things right.