Tourists injured in ‘appalling’ bat attack

A teenage tourist’s blonde hair was stained with blood and her boyfriend’s teeth smashed in when they were savagely beaten in their tent yesterday.

The German couple’s camping trip in Whakatane, in the Bay of Plenty, turned into a nightmare when they were forced to flee their attackers following the early morning Boxing Day robbery and beating. It is understood the pair, an 18-year-old woman and 19-year-old man, were beaten with wooden bats.

Police yesterday had four people in custody, including a woman and two juveniles, and were seeking a fifth person in connection with what they called an ‘‘appalling’’ attack.

A witness who saw the young couple’s ‘‘nightmare’’ injuries described the young German woman’s blonde hair as being stained red with blood, with a ‘‘massive’’ gash in her forehead. The young man’s teeth had been smashed in and his face was blackened and nearly ‘‘unrecognisable’’ as a face.

The victims had described being beaten with wooden bats, the witness said.

Police yesterday said they had recovered weapons believed to have been used by the attackers but would not confirm whether wooden bats were used.

Central district police spokeswoman Kim Perks said the couple had been freedom camping near a skate park off the intersection of Beach St and McAlister Rd when they were attacked.

During the assault they had managed to get away from their assailants and sought help at a nearby house, while another person heard their screams and phoned police. The offenders had been ransacking the tent when police arrived. They initially fled before a police dog and handler tracked down two of the group.

Last night, both tourists remained in Whakatane Hospital in a stable condition, recovering from bone fractures and cuts.

Ms Perks said police had been ‘‘overwhelmed’’ with the outpouring of public support and offers of assistance for the young tourists. Some had even offered to make donations to help the pair.

Whakatane Mayor Tony Bonne said the town had been rocked by the news of the attack and the community wanted to support the injured tourists.

‘‘It’s hard to fathom. I’m pleased that the police have been able to act swiftly, that’s been really good. I just hope that [the attackers] get their just deserts when they go to court. They are not welcome in our community.’’

Meanwhile, the pair had managed to speak to their parents in Germany from their hospital beds, Ms Perks said.

Tourism New Zealand spokesman Chris Roberts said the attack sounded like a case of ‘‘wrong place, wrong time’’.

‘‘It’s always unfortunate to hear of such incidents,’’ he said.

‘‘New Zealand, like any destination in the world, does unfortunately see crime against tourists as well as locals.’’

Mr Roberts warned against freedom camping and said Tourism NZ’s advice was for visitors to stay in controlled camping grounds.