Editorial: Shocking spate of violence

James Ford

It seems to have been a violent time of late in the Bay, or certainly more than we are used to.

A 49-year-old man was the victim of a serious assault in Hastings in the early hours of Sunday morning on Karamu Rd.

As of last night he remains in the Intensive Care Unit in a critical condition.

This followed an incident on Saturday in which two boys had their bikes stolen, after one was punched, in a brazen theft at Frimley Park.

A week earlier, a 14-year-old boy was left bloodied and beaten in a Flaxmere park.

And It has now come to light that a cyclist on Marine Parade on Sunday afternoon came across male youths brawling in a car park north of Ocean Spa.

The fact that he had difficulty contacting police immediately is alarming, but the sheer frequency of violent incidents like this is even more concerning.

Children being assaulted and robbed of their belongings, while another was beaten so badly his injuries included a haematoma, fractured nose and chipped teeth is horrifying to even think about.

For those that hear of incidents like this through the grapevine or in the media it becomes fleeting.

But for those who have fallen victim to needless acts of violence and antisocial behaviour it is harrowing.

It is even more concerning when the victims of such vile acts are so young.
It makes one wonder how they will recover, not only physically, but mentally after such traumatic events.

And, unfortunately, it appears to be becoming more frequent.