Calls for stronger hate crime laws, students return but so does mask wearing and a wet and windy start to the week in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald
A vicious racially motivated attack on a father of Chinese descent outside an Auckland supermarket has sparked a renewed call for stronger hate crime laws.
Police are still hunting for the assailant following the attack on the software specialist and family man outside Pak'nSave Albany on Sunday morning.
A supermarketduty manager bravely stepped in to prevent any further escalation in violence, the Herald can reveal.
The Albany victim's daughter, a North Shore high school pupil who asked to remain anonymous, has spoken out about the harrowing unprovoked assault to raise awareness of what she says is a rising level of prejudice in the area.
She said there is an "awful" increase in the willingness of people at her school to bully others because of their culture.
Her father went to the supermarket about 8.30am on Sunday, on the last day of the school holidays, to get food for her and her brother for school lunches.
As he approached the supermarket entrance he noticed a tall, well-built white man staring at him, she said.
Her father thought he may have bumped the man as he walked past so turned around to say sorry.
"And then the other man just started swearing at my dad and saying ... really harmful language to him."
The comments included "go back to where you're from" and other racially charged remarks against the man, a first-generation immigrant who was born in China but came to New Zealand about two decades ago.
Pak'nSave supermarket at the Albany shopping centre. Photo / Supplied
"My dad was really confused about what he did to this man," she said.
Her father asked the assailant what he had done, at which point the attack turned physical.
He was kicked in the head and punched in the face.
"He was trying to shield himself and ended up on the floor.
"The other man kept on kicking him and hitting him."
He tried to hide behind a shopping trolley but the man continued his attack and at one point threw eggs he had purchased at her father.
One witness, also a Chinese man, called the police and stayed with her father until they arrived.
She said she believed there was a rise in racism on the North Shore in recent times.
"At school as well, people are not afraid now to bully people that are from different cultures.
"And they think it's normal, because everyone around is also doing the same thing."
Foodstuffs NZ public relations head Emma Wooster confirmed the team at Pak'nSave Albany became aware of the violent Sunday morning incident while it was unfolding.
"A customer who was on the spot had already called police, and on arrival the store duty manager stepped in, helping to safely prevent any further violence.
"One of the parties left the premises, the other was supported by the store team until police arrived.
"This is a shocking incident and a reminder that abuse or violence of any kind is not acceptable and will absolutely not be tolerated on our premises."
The attack happened just outside the North Shore supermarket. Photo / Supplied
Wooster said Foodstuffs wanted to thank staff at the Pak'nSave and the customer who called the police for their "swift and effective action".
Police confirmed they received a report of an assault at the Don McKinnon Drive supermarket on Sunday morning.
"A man was reported to have been verbally abusive towards two people and one of them was assaulted," a spokeswoman said.
"Thankfully the victim was not seriously injured by this assault but was understandably shaken by this incident.
"While we are in the very early stages of our inquiries, we are keeping an open mind into the motivation of this assault, including if it was racially motivated."
Police asked anyone who witnessed the incident to contact them on 105.
Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon said during the earlier years of the Covid pandemic there was a "remarkable spike" in racism against Asian people.
"That has quietened down, but it's always been there.
"And that is one of the primary reasons we really encourage the Government to actually move on the strengthening of the legislation on hate crime.
"We really need them to give more resources to the police. But it still comes with the legislation first. The police are powerless to actually bring the full brunt of the law."
The Royal Commission into the Christchurch mosque attacks found New Zealand's legal system did not adequately deal with hate crime and hate speech.
Last year the Government unveiled proposals, including a new criminal offence with harsher penalties and protections for more minority groups, and invited public feedback.
"This type of attack is not new to Chinese people," Foon said.
"Racism actually kills, and that's why it's very important that the Government gives law enforcement and the courts all the tools it can to actually stamp out racism."
