Youths ignore rape, beating

Press, 12 June 1984, Page 4

Youths ignore rape, beating

PA Napier About 15 young people saw a girl being raped and her boyfriend attacked on the Marine Parade at Napier on Friday evening but only two tried to summon help, the police said yesterday. The lack of help has disturbed police officers, who say they are concerned about the attitude of many teen-agers. “They appear to be accepting this sort of violence as the norm,” said Detective Senior-Sergeant Bill Withers. The rape and assault took place “over quite a period of time” but only two young people tried to take any action, he said. One called the police when he got home and another stopped some adults

on the Parade. However, they took no interest and carried on walking. Detectives have spoken to 10 people who saw the rape and want to interview others. The man who was attacked while his girlfriend was raped is still in the intensive care unit at Napier Hospital. He has facial injuries and his condition is described as satisfactory. Detective Senior-Sergeant Withers said he was also concerned about the seriousness of the crimes involving young people. Serious assaults with people kicked in the face and head were now becoming more common, he said. The police had no solution, he said. “We can arrest them, but what else can we do?”