Assaulted teens cop online abuse

A victim of a brutal assault says her friends are being cyber-bullied by those linked to the teenage perpetrators.

Tae Flavell, 19, and friends Annalise Cooper, 19, and Makayla Spiers, 18, have been subjected to online abuse since going public about being attacked by a group of girls on Saturday. Footage of the Dunedin attack was circulated on social media.

"No one deserves to be on the ground being booted," she said.

This week the mother of one of the teenagers apologised over her daughter's actions.

The attack had left Miss Flavell experiencing anxiety and panic attacks.

"I just want them to realise that it is not just the physical pain they have inflicted upon us, it is hard to deal with mentally as well ... I am very traumatised, I am having nightmares and they don't understand that."

Her friends no longer wanted to socialise in town.

Senior Sergeant Mark Crawford said police had spoken to a number of witnesses who have come forward and to almost all of those who present.