WOMEN MOLESTED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20819, 11 March 1931, Page 12

WOMEN MOLESTED.

MAN'S STRANGE BEHAVIOUR

EPSOM RESIDENTS ALARMED.

OFFENDER USES BICYCLE. Residents of the Epsom, western Newmarket and Mount, Eden districts have been alarmed recently at the objectionable behaviour of a man, believed to be obsessed by some form of mania, who has been molesting unaccompanied women and children in the streets in daylight. Women and children have been accosted by the man and then addressed in most obsceno terms. In no case has any form of violence been used, while the man has always selected his victims in the quiet streets, never entering any properties or prowling round housos.

Tho man has been seen in Gillies Avenue, Owens Road, Stokos Road, Mountain Road and further over in Mount Eden on different occasions for some months past, but recently ho has become more daring and within the past week a numbor of women and children have been frightened by his approach. Ho appears to bo between 28 and 30 years old. Residents who have been spoken to by him say that ho is very dark, and has a peculiar look in his eyes. In practically every case, the man has ridden away on a bicycle, which he was either riding prior to his approach or had hidden near by. His usual method of approach is to walk or ride slowly along tho streets looking at tho houses as if ho were trying to find some address. By wasting time in this means ho waits until his victim is alono, an easy task in quiet residential streets whero there are rarely more than two or threo persons in sight. He then follows tho woman or child quietly, suddenly accosting them and assailing them with a torront of abuse and obscenity. Just as quickly ho mounts his cycle or runs to where it is hiddon and makes his escape before help can be summoned or the police notified.