Editorial: When victims fight back

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There is something about the triumph of good over evil that we all love.

When underdogs overcome a stronger force against all odds, we all cheer.

Take, for example, the teenage Hastings girl who kneed a would-be attacker in the groin and followed it up with a punch to the face after he stopped and made "inappropriate" comments.

The story has proved to be very popular, with tens of thousands of people reading it on Hawke's Bay Today's website and Facebook page, as well as in the newspaper.

Police believe the man tried to sexually assault the teenager and they are still hunting him. Little did this criminal know, but the brave girl had self-defence training. While violence should not be condoned, this was self-defence and things could have turned ugly very quickly if she had not sorted the situation out.

It is incredible how criminals prey on people they believe to be defenceless and it is always good when they are taught a painful lesson.

It reminds me of the tale of legendary American heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey, who was mugged as an old man in his seventies. He was walking home in the late 1960s or early 1970s when two young thugs decided to attack him, probably thinking a slow-moving old man was an easy target. They attempted to grab his arms but Dempsey broke free and, before they knew it, they were both out cold on the sidewalk.

Who does not feel some satisfaction from hearing a story like that?

Let's hope the police catch the man in the Mahora incident and let's hope this incident will deter others as well. He may not have told anyone but he knows he got beaten by a teenaged girl.

Not so tough now, hey?