A 16-year-old boy who was allegedly violently attacked on a North Shore bus was left terrified after he was repeatedly punched in the face, completely unprovoked.
His mother, Lucy, told the Herald her son was on the NX1 bus from Albany to the Hibiscus Coast when he was hit by a teenage girl, who was within a group of about seven other teenagers.
She said her “sweet, innocent boy” was left bleeding from his lip after the December 9 incident.
The 16-year-old was with three other friends on the bus about 2.45pm.
“They went up to the top of the bus, and they sat closer to the front than to the back, away from a loud group of kids ... they were minding their own business,” Lucy said.
She said as he sat down, he took a quick glance around, and within about 30 seconds, several teenagers approached him.
“The girl had said to him, ‘Why are you staring at my bros? You’re staring at my bros.’
“I think she was being quite aggressive in her tone, and he said, ‘Oh, I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to.’”
Lucy said a girl from the group punched her son in the mouth, cheekbone and eye.
“I think she got four or five punches in his neck and each time he said that he was sorry, tried not to fight, didn’t stand up,” Lucy said.
Lucy said she understood another teenager from the group was filming the incident and repeatedly pressured him to say something and make a hand gesture on camera.
“He couldn’t focus or hear what she was asking. He said, ‘No, what does that mean?’ I think she probably asked about three or four times and gave up and left,” Lucy said.
The boy’s mother said witnesses have told her the group were allegedly using nitrous oxide containers, known as “nangs”, on the bus.
“My son and his friends sat there perfectly still, afraid to move, just staring forward. He wouldn’t get his phone out of his pocket.
“He said, ‘Mum, I didn’t want to get it out in case they came back for me or the phone’.”
Lucy said her son and his friends heard the group threatening to “get him at the next stop” or “finish it”.
She said a bystander also overheard what was being said and decided to stand up in the aisle as the crowd was starting to depart the bus.
“[The female bystander was] getting in the way, but without getting herself involved, so trying to be subtle to slow them down. She said to my son, ‘are you okay?’ And he shook his head,” Lucy said.
Lucy said her son turned down the offer from the woman for a ride because he could see a security guard nearby.
“When the bus pulled in, he’s run downstairs, and a second lady actually stood up. There are two ladies in the way to slow this group down,” Lucy said.
After alerting the security guard, she said her son panicked and ran to hide behind some nearby buildings.
“He was probably in shock and shaking, a little bit nervous. He’s quite a sweet, innocent boy for a 16-year-old,” Lucy said.
Lucy said that at the time, her son didn’t know one of his friends sitting in the row ahead had texted his mother asking her to call the police.
She said her son called his father and was picked up shortly later.
Lucy said the incident has changed her son’s life to the point that he is fearful of ever catching a bus again.
“He’s okay, but he’s probably not going into these public spaces anymore,” Lucy said.
Since Lucy posted her son’s experience on Facebook, several parents have come forward with very similar incidents.
“That’s when I realised this is not an isolated event.
“This is a pattern,” Lucy said.
The incident led her to create an action group called the HBC Bus Safety.
“I’m not naive enough to think that they’re going to reduce the age that children are held accountable ... If they’re responsible enough or classed as responsible enough to drive a vehicle, for me, they should be responsible enough to be accountable for their actions the same as an 18-year-old,” Lucy said.
Police said they attended Hibiscus Highway Bus Station around 3.30pm after receiving a second-hand report.
Senior Sergeant Brett Henshaw said police interviewed the complainant and were awaiting CCTV footage to assist in progressing the inquiries.
Auckland Transport group manager for public transport operations, Rachel Cara, said they were assisting police with the matter.
Cara said they were also deploying more transport officers on NX1 bus services before Christmas to help reassure passengers about their safety and security when travelling and to deter antisocial behaviour.