A female constable was punched in the nose after coming to the aid of a hysterical Christchurch earthquake survivor in central Dunedin early yesterday.
Police were called to the Night'n Day foodstore on the corner of the Octagon and Princes St at 1.40am, after concerned staff witnessed a Brazilian backpacker acting "unusually", Acting Senior Sergeant Dave Scott said.
The 25-year-old female, who was talking in a mixture of Portuguese and English was "highly distressed" after arriving in the city from Christchurch following Tuesday's earthquake.
An experienced female police officer was punched in the nose trying to assist the woman, he said.
The woman was taken to Emergency Psychiatric Services at Dunedin Hospital, with police contacting the Brazilian embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the woman was found with a passport and a key from an unknown hostel.
Acting Snr Sgt Scott said police were also working to determine if the woman's name appeared on any missing person's register, and "just how she got here".
While charges had been laid in relation to the assault, a decision on whether they would proceed had yet to be made, given the traumatic event the woman had experienced, he said.
The woman was receiving support from Dunedin mental health services in the interim.
