Auckland women report being assaulted, threatened while exercising

The runner said she called 111 while chasing the man through Three Kings Reserve and into a carpark. Photo / NZME

Auckland women say they have been assaulted and threatened while exercising in recent weeks, prompting at least two police investigations.

A woman was seriously assaulted at a Devonport park, another verbally threatened while walking in Takapuna and a third woman said she was groped while running in Three Kings during the weekend.

The investigations have so far led to no arrests, with one woman claiming she was told by police there was not enough evidence to advance her case while another claimed she was warned of staff shortages.

A woman in her 30s was seriously assaulted at Devonport's Stanley Bay park on February 8, despite numerous calls from police for public sightings of the man accused.

She had been exercising on a walking track at around 8.30pm. Devonport-Takapuna local board chairwoman Ruth Jackson admitted that lighting at the park had been faulty because of flooding, and has been working to get it fixed.

At the time police said the woman was "very shaken", and urged people exercising alone to "be alert and aware of your surroundings".

Less than a week later a walker, who did not want to be identified, reported that she was verbally threatened by a group of men on Minnehaha Ave in Takapuna.

It was early in the morning and she said the group were standing around a car, drinking.

"I walked past them and I had my headphones on and they started calling out to me, 'Do you want to get f***ing raped' then they just started laughing and calling out obscenities after me," she told the Herald.

"I just put my head down, didn't respond to them, just kept walking and got out of there as fast as I could and I was quite shaken."

The woman walked from the beach to Minnehaha Ave in Takapuna, Auckland on February 14. Photo / Chris Tarpy

She claimed her case was closed because of lack of evidence, but police told the Herald they are continuing to make inquiries.

"As the investigation is ongoing, we have no further comment at this time," a spokesperson said.

The Valentine's Day abuse was "confronting and really awful", she said.

"I don't think I've ever been that afraid that someone would actually assault me. My stomach just sank, and I just had this: 'oh my God, it's going to happen' response.

"It's kind of every woman's worst fear."

Another woman, whom the Herald will not name, said she was groped while on a run in Three Kings Reserve on Saturday evening.

"I could see the silhouette a couple of metres behind and then a few seconds later I just feel this hand on [me] and I was so surprised that I turned to the direction I thought the person would be, and just yelled into their face.

"They looked equally as surprised. It was more surprise - I was not scared, but I was angry. Then he made eye contact with me and goes 'Oh sorry' and he runs, and I was not having any of it."

A woman claimed she was groped while on a run at Three Kings Reserve on Saturday evening. Photo / NZME

She called 111 immediately and chased him across the reserve and into a carpark but eventually lost sight of him.

Despite reporting it instantly, it was hours before a sergeant called her back – around 1am on Sunday, she said.

She was having trouble sleeping and eating since, and happened to be awake to receive the call.

Because the woman is isolating because of Covid, she could not report the attack at a police station and was told by police no one was available to visit her at her house.

"They called me back later on Sunday saying that they can't send anyone because of how understaffed they are so I would have to send an email," she said.

Police said they are not "immediately aware" of the woman's experience.

She said she is under "no illusion" that the man will be arrested, so has taken it "upon herself to find out what's happened", and posted about it on her local community Facebook page.

"It was almost sad to read the comments because it really highlights that this is too common and the [other victims] have had to accept it and move on.

"It's probably what I'm going to have to do as well.

"Knowing the person is out there somewhere and probably be doing the same thing to others is not a great feeling at all."

She is calling for police to handle cases like hers sensitively and sympathetically.

"The way that they talk to you, it's not that they don't believe you, but it's very matter-of-fact. I guess it depends who you get on the line but it would be amazing if it was treated more sensitively.

"Something that would be really useful is having programmes that are free and widespread around the country for any age to attend, and learn how to defend themselves as well as providing them with resources they can use," the woman said.

"After all this I went online and had a look at things I can buy next time I go out and exercise.

"The burden lies on women to protect ourselves and to find ways to equip ourselves so that we are protected, but we shouldn't have to."