A 14-year-old girl was left battered and bruised in an unprovoked attack on Melville Intermediate School grounds.
Tia (surname withheld) was on the field with her four siblings and step-siblings at about 2pm on September 1 when a group of six girls aged 11-16 approached and demanded the scooter Tia and the other children were playing with.
When Tia refused to hand it over, one of the girls attacked her. Tia says the girl tied her hands up in a jersey, hit her in the face up to 30 times, punched and kicked her in the ribs and tore out tufts of her hair. And Tia believes the attack was videoed on a smartphone.
The attack was captured on Melville Intermediate's CCTV. Principal David Cooke said he had provided police with footage and a statement in relation to the attack.
Waikato police communications manager Andrew McAlley said the case had been referred to Youth Aid and CIB was aware of the alleged incident.
McAlley said police could "confirm there have been a number of nominations" in relation to people who may have been involved in the incident.
Tia's mother, Jen Purcell, said the alleged offenders shouldn't be stood down from school but "they need to know there are consequences for their behaviour". She hopes charges will be laid.
"The community also needs to know this stuff won't be stood for. My children have a right to play at the park without this sort of thing happening to them."
Ms Purcell said while she believed Tia would be "okay psychologically", it was difficult for Tia to revisit the place she was attacked.
Speaking at her Glenview home, Ms Purcell had tears in her eyes as she questioned the youth justice system.
"Those girls know who my kids are but we can't know who they are. What's to stop them coming in to my workplace - my children are there sometimes. It's not on."
The investigation is on going.
DISTURBING TREND
This aggressive and uncalled for incident follows others in the city in recent years where high school-aged students - and younger - have found themselves in the youth justice system for their part in violent attacks.
Drunken disorder, assaults and aggravated robberies by teenage girls caused concern for Hamilton police in 2010. Assaults at Hamilton high schools, including one at Fairfield College where a knife was pulled, have been widely reported.
Earlier this year, two hammer-wielding boys, aged 12 and 13, threatened children at a primary school.
Has your child been the victim of a violent incident? Do you have a solution to or insight on this disturbing trend?
Email your story or views to danielle.nicholson@apn.co.nz.