A 12-year-old boy was thrown into a river and had his head held underwater by a man who assaulted him in Christchurch, police say.
The boy and two friends were throwing stones into a river playing yesterday afternoon when they were confronted by a man.
"The male has assaulted one of the boys and thrown him into the river. He then held the boy's head under the water," Detective Sergeant Richard Quested said.
"The young boy received some bruising and cuts and is very shaken by the incident."
Mr Quested said the offender was reportedly a passenger in a vehicle.
A woman was driving the vehicle and there were also two children inside, he said.
It was parked in a gravel layby nearby at the time of the assault.
