Cousins get credit for girl's escape from attack

Photo / Supplied

The Auckland schoolgirl who thwarted a "scrawny" man's advances with a kick to the groin learned her moves from her older male cousins, her mother says.

The 12-year-old St Mary's College student was walking along Douglas St in Ponsonby on Tuesday morning when the man came up behind her, made "lewd suggestions" and grabbed her arm.

She responded by kicking him hard in the groin.

Yesterday, her mother said she had recovered from the fright and was proud of the way she reacted. The Herald will not name the mother, to protect her daughter's identity.

"She probably learned all her kung fu techniques on the trampoline with her big boy cousins," the mother said.

The girl broke free of the man's grip after she kicked him, then ran to school "without looking back".

The mother said her daughter described the encounter as "really creepy and frightening ... He just came up behind her."

The girl was using an iPod and didn't hear him approach. She also had one arm in a sling so the man grabbed the only one she could use.

When St Mary's College principal Sandy Pasley phoned the mother raced to the school imagining "the worst".

When mother and daughter saw each other they hugged, and the girl cried. "I didn't know what to expect but she was fine. She was obviously unhurt but just really shaken."

They went home and spent the day catching up with family.

"She was quite stressed and in shock but by the end of the day I think she was feeling quite proud of herself and she was doing okay."

Afterwards, neither of them wanted to think about what could have happened. "Hopefully it was just some dodgy guy and nothing would have happened beyond that, but yeah ... you don't know and it's a happy outcome to a horrible story."

They had discussed safety when the girl first started walking to school - a journey that normally takes about 15 minutes - at the start of the year, "but it's not something you say every morning", the mother said.

Yesterday, the girl was dropped off at St Mary's but probably wouldn't need the counselling that was offered, her mother said. "I think she will be doing fine. She sort of enjoyed [her] brief role as superhero. Hopefully they'll find this guy and [the ordeal] will just fade away."

But yesterday did have its lighter moments: "We gave her a few hassles about looking out for other unsuspecting men that she could knee in the groin on the way to school."

Mrs Pasley said she sent a note out with St Mary's students after the incident emphasising the need to walk with friends or near other people, and not use earphones.

She said there had been a similar incident earlier in the year when an older student was approached.

Sergeant Paul Black said police had received calls from the public nominating suspects.

The man sought is described as "scrawny", in his 40s with long silver or grey hair and with an orange hue to his skin.

Anyone with information should call police on (09) 359-3101.