Violent attack on young girl

FILE

A young female school student was seriously assaulted while walking to school in Napier this morning.

Senior Sergeant Clint Adamson said the girl was attacked as she walked along Arnold St about 8.45am.

The 12-year-old girl was set upon by a group of youths as she was walking along an alleyway between Hillary Cres and Riverbend Rd in Maraenui. She was on her way to William Colenso College.

The girl was attacked at the Riverbend Rd end of the alleyway.

Police say the girl was hit with a bottle across the side of the head and was kicked in the ribs. She was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital suffering from concussion, a grazed cheek and bruised ribs and was discharged this afternoon.

Two of the girl's attackers are described as a male Maori aged about 20 wearing a dark grey jersey, red and black cap, grey skinny jeans, black shoes and sunglasses, and a teenage male Maori with long black hair wearing a red and black cap, red jersey with a white pattern on it and high-top sneakers.

Police said there were others in the group but no descriptions are available for them and are keen to speak to anyone who saw the attack or who knows who was involved.

"This was a violent attack on a vulnerable young girl and it's important that we speak to anyone who has information about the assault or who was responsible for it," Constable Glenn Shelley said.

Today's attack comes after the bashing of Hastings Intermediate School student Azaleas Quenton, 12, as he walked home with his bike on August 15.

Azaleas was assaulted from behind in Akina Park and hit by an older boy as his head was smashed onto the handlebars of his bike before falling to the ground where five teens repeatedly kicked and stomped on him.

A 14-year-old was charged for allegedly assaulting Azaleas and appeared in Hastings Youth Court last month on a charge of injuring with intent to injure. He was bailed and will appear again this month.

Anyone with information about the assault are asked to contact Napier police or leave information anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.