A 14-year-old boy in Whangārei was beaten by seven or eight adult men at a party, leaving him with a fractured eye socket, and his mother says police failed to act when the alleged offenders could still have been found.
The assault happened on Saturday night, November 1, after the boy and three friends, all 14, had an interaction with a man at a house where people were drinking. According to the NZ Herald's report, the man threatened the boys and told people inside the house to give them a hiding.
What happened on the night
The mother said her son, who is 182cm tall and looks much older than 14, was singled out by the group of men, who were in their late teens or early 20s. Two of the boys managed to run away and call police.
Her son was punched in the face and mouth. The blow fractured his eye socket, and the bleeding was so severe he believed he had been stabbed. He also chipped his front teeth and will need assessment by an eye specialist for possible permanent vision damage.
Witnesses were present, the mother said, but nobody stepped in or called 111 while people from the party house kept yelling threats. Friends supported the injured teen until emergency services arrived and an ambulance took him to hospital. He was discharged at 4.30am on Sunday.
Days of waiting to give a statement
The mother's frustration centres on what happened, or failed to happen, after the ambulance left. On Sunday night she spoke with the investigating officer, who told her that because her son had not wanted to make a statement on Saturday night, they would need to come into the station.
On Monday she and her son went to Walton St police station and waited five hours at reception, only to be told they could not be seen because the officer in charge was working nights. It took another two days for the officer to make contact. The statement appointment is now set for November 9, more than a week after the assault.
I feel like they're not taking it seriously. This is not just a black eye, it's a serious injury to a minor by multiple adults.
She believes police should have done more on the night itself, when the alleged offenders could have been apprehended at the party house.
What police say
Whangārei area response manager Senior Sergeant Hayden Walker said police were investigating the assault and met the group at the location they had retreated to, where the priority was ensuring the injured boy received medical attention.
Walker said relevant inquiries could not be undertaken immediately because relevant information was not provided at the time. Further information has since been provided by the victims, which will help inform the investigation, he said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police through 105, online or by phone, referencing file number 261101/6846.
A pattern of families left waiting
The mother's complaint is not an isolated one. In Florida, a grieving mother has publicly blamed police for her daughter's fatal shooting, telling Morning Honey that officers neglected the teenager after she approached them asking for help and an officer agreed to accompany her but did not. In Boca Raton, a representative of a firm linked to a family has spent days alleging police negligence in a four-day-old case, according to BocaNewsNow. And a mother in another US case has demanded action after her 14-year-old daughter was allegedly assaulted by bullies at school, with The Union Star noting there has been no public confirmation of any disciplinary or police response.
These cases differ in detail, but they share a common thread: families who feel the institutions meant to protect young people responded too slowly, or not at all.
The human cost
The physical injuries are healing. Temporary repairs to the boy's teeth mean he can at least eat without pain, his mother said. The psychological harm may take longer.
She described her son as already shy before the attack, and said he is now fearful of going out. A 14-year-old who cannot feel safe on his own streets, and a family left waiting eight days to even give a statement, raises fair questions about how seriously such violence against minors is treated.
Police say the investigation continues, helped by the information the victims have now provided. For this family, the wait for answers is far from over.
FAQ
What injuries did the Whangārei teenager suffer?
He suffered a fractured eye socket, chipped front teeth, and severe facial bleeding. He faces possible permanent vision damage and will be assessed by an eye specialist.
How long did the family wait to give a statement to police?
The mother and son waited five hours at Walton St police station on Monday without being seen, and the officer took another two days to make contact. The statement appointment is set for November 9.
How can the public help the investigation?
Police ask anyone with relevant information to contact them through 105, online or by phone, referencing file number 261101/6846.