By SCOTT INGLIS
Three boys on bikes saved a pregnant South Auckland woman from being raped at knifepoint in a daylight park attack.
The boys unwittingly disturbed the would-be rapist shortly after he ambushed his victim, Sarah (not her real name), as she used a Manurewa reserve pathway on Wednesday.
Before running off, he threatened Sarah then cut her face.
Detectives describe the 1.45 pm attack as "abhorrent" and say the boys, whose identities are unknown to police, are heroes.
Sarah, a 20-year-old Manurewa woman who is seven weeks pregnant, told the Herald the attack was "terrifying."
"I thought he would do something serious to hurt me and my baby," the shaken woman said.
She was taking a shortcut home through a small reserve between Poutini Place and Sharland Ave when a man called out.
She ignored him and continued walking along the 150m pathway when he suddenly grabbed her from behind and held the knife to her face, with one hand around her neck. He swore and abused her for ignoring him and then suggested they have sex.
However, the three boys, aged about nine or ten, suddenly rode into the walkway from Poutini Place, forcing the man to abandon his attack. He ran off towards Sharland Ave.
The boys rode off in another direction across the reserve, most likely unaware of what had happened. Sarah has used the pathway hundreds of times over the past 12 years but vowed to never use it again.
Detective Constable Dion Blair, of Manurewa CIB, said it was lucky the boys turned up: "Had they not, we might be dealing with her as a rape victim."
The man is described as possibly a Pacific Islander, 20-30 years old, with a moustache, goatee beard and long sideburns. He was wearing a black beanie, dirty grey t-shirt and green track pants with a hole over the left knee.
Police want to find the boys to help with the inquiry. One is Caucasian and rode a silver BMX-type bike; the other two are Maori or Pacific Islanders with mountain bikes.
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