Hamilton mother pleads for help finding missing daughter

By ELIZABETH BINNING


A desperate Hamilton mother has sent an email to hundreds of people asking for help after her 14-year-old daughter disappeared.

Tuihana Nikora-Whiting has not been seen since November 21 when she left a relative's Manurewa home to buy lollies at a nearby dairy.

Police are investigating but say there is no evidence to suggest anything sinister has happened to the teenager.

However, Tuihana's family are becoming more concerned and have sent an urgent plea for help, via the internet.

Cynthia Nikora has emailed a photo of her daughter, asking: "Whanau, please pass on to all your networks no matter where they live and help us find our girl!"

Tuihana had travelled to the Manurewa suburb of Wattle Downs with her family for a relative's funeral several days before she disappeared.

On the Friday night, about 7, the Hillcrest High School girl asked her mother if she could go to the local dairy.

Mrs Nikora told her to go "straight there and straight back".

Tuihana left the house with just over $4 worth of coins and her cellphone.

She has not been seen or heard from since and the dairy owners do not recall seeing her at their shop.

Mrs Nikora said Tuihana had had some problems since the family moved to Hamilton from Gisborne earlier this year but doesn't believe her daughter would have deliberately run away. It would be unusual for her to not contact her family, who have also put up photos around Auckland.

Manurewa youth aid Sergeant Marko Radojkovich said police, who have been investigating the disappearance for 10 days, are now asking for public assistance.

Mr Radojkovich said police regularly dealt with missing youths but most turned up after a week.

Tuihana's case will be reviewed by a senior police officer, who will decide how the investigation will proceed, during the next few days.

Anyone with information should phone Manurewa police on (09) 295-0200.