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Home / New Zealand

Father angry no police arrest after teen son attacked at West Auckland party

By Carolyne Meng-Yee
Investigative reporter·NZ Herald·
9 Jul, 2022 02:25 AM5 mins to read

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A father is frustrated his son's alleged attackers have not been arrested. Photo / 123rf stock image

A father is frustrated his son's alleged attackers have not been arrested. Photo / 123rf stock image

A father is fuming that police have not arrested two teenagers who allegedly beat his son beyond recognition at a birthday party four weeks ago.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons says his 16-year-old son is lucky to be alive.

"I was extremely worried my son wouldn't make it. He looked like the elephant man with the amount of blood and swelling on his face. As far as the Henderson police are concerned, he could be dead. They still haven't asked about my son or followed up. A box in the ears, a black eye, and a bloody nose is one thing, but kicking someone's head is unacceptable. What does it take before anything gets done?" the father said.

On Friday night, after the Herald on Sunday made inquiries, the father received a text from a police officer saying she was now assigned to the case.

"Please let me know when I can call you both - sooner the better."

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Earlier, a police spokesperson told the Herald on Sunday: "The matter has been and remains under investigation."

After the attack the father began his own investigation, interviewing other party-goers and sourcing video footage of other fights allegedly involving the boys.

"I want justice for my son and I am speaking out because I'm worried. The thing that staggers me is the normality of this... but this isn't normal and no one has done anything to stop it," the father said.

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On June 18, the teenager and his friends went to a birthday party at a tennis club in West Auckland. The boy told the Herald on Sunday it was an open party and when he arrived he felt uncomfortable. He said some of the party-goers looked "intimidating" so he wanted to leave. As he came down the stairs, two teens who he knew from school, were outside.

"I asked if they had seen my friend. I can't remember much after that because I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital and I asked mum why I was there. I am angry but this is out of my control," the boy said.

The teenager suffered critical injuries to his head and narrowly avoided brain damage. His eyes were so swollen they had to be prised open. The Year 11 student was in hospital for a week and is now at home recovering from a severe concussion and may not return to school.

The father understands there were two witnesses to the assault who are yet to come forward.

Although there is no CCTV footage of his son's assault, the father obtained footage from a bottle store opposite the tennis club. It captured a massive brawl allegedly involving the two boys and other partygoers moments after his son's attack.

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"The worse thing was my son was by himself lying in a pool of blood. Much of my frustration and anger comes from the fact I went straight to the venue and found footage of that brawl yet the police have done nothing. That disgusts me," the father said.

Footage obtained by the Herald on Sunday reveals one of the boys appearing to viciously attack a student in a separate incident near a West Auckland High school on June 14. There is also footage of another boy being beaten in the school toilets, allegedly by one of the teens.

The Herald on Sunday understands the police have made frequent visits to the West Auckland high school. The father alleges the two teenagers are known to the police and that the school knows about the fights and the footage.

He claims: "The principal told me they had squad cars outside the school to avoid any more altercations. There is something wrong when you need the police to sit outside your school."

In an email to the Herald on Sunday, the principal of the high school said: "As I trust you will appreciate; we cannot comment on any individual(s) except to say that the [teenagers] you are asking questions about are no longer enrolled at our school.

"What we can say is that our school does not tolerate poor behaviour and acts very swiftly and strongly if there are any concerns for the safety of those in our school. If we have concerns, we err on the side of caution and do not hesitate to involve whānau, support agencies, or the police as required."

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But the father is fearful the boys may attack his son again. "I am absolutely worried about retribution. I would fear those boys and I am a grown man."

This week the son made a statement to the police. The father claims a police officer told him there have been multiple assaults by the boys since his son's attack. "The police told me one of the boys has already had [multiple] incidents with the police. But my son's case is now a priority."

The man said his son is intelligent and a gentle soul like his mother.

"He is my boy. He is full of life, mysterious, and fun. I want the police to connect the dots and give this a higher priority. There is no fear and no consequences with these boys. I don't know if their hands are tied or what to expect out of this but the police are probably pushing shit uphill because these boys are juveniles. But if you want to play with the big boys you have to face big boys' consequences."

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