Two New Zealand Music Producers Jailed Following Rape Conviction

Two New Zealand music producers have been found guilty of raping a woman in a motel room and have been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison. 

As NZ Herald reports, Mark Arona and Peter John Chambers appeared in Tauranga District Court via audio-visual link from jail this week after they were found guilty in October of sexual violation by rape and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. 

Arona is best known as MC Patriarch of hip hop outfit Ill Semantics and chief executive of indie record and entertainment company, Illegal Musik, while Chambers is also known as DJ CXL.

The victim claimed that, after blacking out from a mixture of alcohol and marijuana, she woke up in a motel room where one of the men was assaulting her, before the other joined in. 

Both Arona and Chambers maintained their innocence throughout the trial.

"I was so relieved the jury believed me, but at the same time, I was overwhelmed by what I had gone through to get to that point. It's been harrowing," the woman said.

"It was like I was fighting a war of truth and the truth has prevailed.