Over 100 watched teen's beating

A teenage girl who was badly beaten in a Wellington park was effectively assaulted again by having the attack filmed by onlookers on their mobile phones and spread among her peers, says Children's Commissioner John Angus.

The 13-year-old claimed she was lured to the park in Johnsonville on October 16, badly beaten by an older girl and left semi-conscious as up to 70 schoolchildren watched the attack and filmed it on their phones.

The attack, estimated to have lasted between seven and 10 minutes, followed a flurry of text messages involving pupils from Onslow College, the Dominion Post reported.

The victim was allegedly lured by the attacker's friend to the park. The attacker, aged 15, was waiting there, and a crowd of pupils had gathered.

Sources told the newspaper the girl was punched repeatedly about the head and her head battered against the ground and a wall.

She was later admitted to hospital with suspected concussion.

"I'd class it as a serious assault. That's certainly the way we're looking at it," said Sergeant Vaughan Mead, of Johnsonville police.

Mr Angus said the attack was a worrying offshoot of the speed of new forms of information technology.

"It's certainly upped the ante because the young girl who was beaten up is in a sense being assaulted again by having the pictures downloaded and spread among her peers."

Police are understood to have searched the homes of several pupils and seized at least one phone as evidence. A decision on charges is expected next week.

Although police youth aid officers have spoken to staff at the school, the attacker and her year 10 friend, who allegedly helped arrange the fight via text messages, remain in class.

The school sought legal advice and said was powerless to formally discipline the pair until the outcome of police inquiries, as the attack happened off school grounds.

The victim has been taken out of the school for her safety.

Meanwhile police are investigating a knife incident at Wellington High School in which a boy was injured.

Principal Prue Kelly said two boys from year 11 and year 12 had a disagreement on Wednesday and one of them brought a knife to school the next day.

The other boy ended up with a cut finger which required stitches after a confrontation between the pair.

Witnesses varied on whether the victim was stabbed on whether he grabbed the knife, Ms Kelly told The Dominion Post.

The boy with the knife had been suspended and police informed.

- NZPA