Detectives are looking for links between the attempted abduction of a 10-year-old Hibiscus Coast girl and a spate of unsolved attempted kidnappings that began seven years ago.
It is two weeks today since "Katie" fought off a man who tried to force her into his four-wheel-drive as she
walked along Waiora Rd in Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa.
Between 2000 and 2002 there were seven attempted abductions in the Rodney area of which Whangaparaoa is part. No one was ever caught. The Orewa-based detective leading the inquiry, Mark Palma, confirmed but played down the consideration of the previous abduction bids.
"Yes, that's a line of inquiry, potentially," he said. "But equally valid are all sorts of other inquiries.
"There's a possibility of links in all sorts of places if you're prepared to go far enough. We're looking at a huge variety of different lines of inquiry."
Mr Palma would not reveal the other lines being looked at.
He said the would-be kidnapper's car was the "crux" of the case but police had received little information about anyone owning a black 4WD with distinctive red seat covers.
Police had received "close to 100" calls on the case.
As schools reopened yesterday after the holidays, police continued stopping vehicles matching the description of the offender's 4WD, Mr Palma said.
Some parents taking their children to Stanmore Bay School along Waiora Rd took extra precautions.
Ellen Korth said that before the attack she would have let her daughter, 5, walk to school with her 8-year-old brother, but now she was accompanying them both to and fro.
Kim Brill said she no longer let her 4-year-old play on the family's front-yard trampoline without adult supervision.
"I've been speaking to people and the general consensus is that you can't live in fear and you've got to live your life [but] I think people need to be a bit more vigilant, at least for a while. It's certainly a bit scary."
Police will release an artist's drawing of the attacker tonight just before the case is featured on TV2's Police Ten 7 at 9.30pm.
