Costumes mask men in attack aboard train
Two teenagers were attacked by a group of masked and drunk men while on a train in Auckland.
The 15-year-olds were on their way home for dinner when they were punched and choked by the group who were dressed in Mr Four Square outfits and were possibly bound for the Auckland Darts Masters on Saturday evening.
Mother Jenny de Montalk said her daughter’s friend was choked by one of the men to the point he could not breathe.
When other members of the group got involved, one man swung to punch the teen but missed and hit her daughter, she said.
Video filmed by a passenger showed one of the men from the group holding one of the victims with one arm before being punched. It also showed another member of the group who tried to intervene.
The group wore Mr Four Square masks, white aprons printed with the Four Square logo, turquoise shirts and red ties.
‘‘It sounded like the kids had spoken to them on the train and the guys with the masks were drunk,’’ de Montalk said.
‘‘Then one of the other guys took a disliking to her friend and called him a f ***** then started strangling him. The boy couldn’t breathe and he had to punch him to get him off.’’
One of the men allegedly then head-butted the boy.
‘‘My daughter was trying to push them off and was calling out to the train staff for help, but nobody helped,’’ de Montalk said.
She said she had notified police and Auckland Transport.