Witnesses are being sought to an aggravated robbery in Wairoa
after nine youths - some as young as 12-years-old and dressed
in gang colours robbed a young tourist for her
cigarettes and money yesterday afternoon.
It was the second gang-related attack on a citizen with no
gang connection in Hawke's Bay this week.
Police in the northern Hawke's Bay town were appealing to
public in the vicinity of Marine Parade about 4.50pm
yesterday who may have seen the group of nine males approach
the 21-year-old tourist.
Wairoa Police Sergeant Matt King said the youths, aged
between 12 and 16, approached the young New Zealand woman and
demanded her cigarettes and money, grabbing it from her
forcefully when she refused.
The youths were wearing gang colours, and were apprehended by
police a short time later after the victim called 111.
Wairoa Police Senior Sergeant Tony Bates feared naming the
victim's hometown would identify her to the attackers. The
robbery was a concern for the community, he said.
"It's a concern these children have conducted these types of
activities,'' he said.
"Now they have just got to complete the processes going on
and hopefully that will sort it.''
Five of the offenders were due to appear in the Wairoa Youth
Court on charges of aggravated robbery, with the remaining
four referred to Youth Aid.
Wairoa Mayor Les Probert said the behaviour was a national
issue, and the town had processes in place to deal with
gangs.
"At every place in New Zealand at this time of year these
things go on,'' he said.
"These things are happening and we don't want them to happen.
It is the sort of thing we are attempting to avoid.''
He said the council liaised with police regularly, and had
youth programmes.
"We have meetings with the police, we had a meeting just
before Christmas and have acts in place to deal with [gangs],
unfortunately the police can't be everywhere at the same
time.''
On Monday, a 24-year-old man with no gang connections was
viciously stabbed and beaten in Napier as he walked home from
New Year's Eve celebrations with a friend.
Police believe the three offenders could have been associated
with the Black Power gang, and attacked the victim because he
was wearing a red T-shirt - the colours of rival gang,
Mongrel Mob.
- Morgan Tait of Hawke's Bay Today
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