Brazen attacks spark fear on Shore
North Shore communities are on edge after several “brazen” attacks on women walking and jogging on public walkways.
In the most recent case, a woman in her mid-20s was assaulted from behind by a man on Friday at 4.40pm while jogging on a track between Browns Bay Rd and Beechwood Rd in Browns Bay. It’s believed she suffered a broken collarbone.
The assault comes weeks after two women were assaulted less than 3km away on the walking track between Murrays Bay and Rothesay Bay. Those incidents happened in the morning of October 10 and October 24. Both women were injured.
Detective Senior Sergeant Callum McNeill, investigations manager for Waitemata East Area, said police are investigating whether the attacks are linked.
Victoria Short, deputy chair of Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, said the East Coast Bays community is concerned about the safety of the walking tracks.
“We are a close tight-knit community and many of our residents have raised their concerns with me, particularly given how brazen the attacks have been and during daylight hours.”
Short, who frequently walks on the tracks with her young children, said the area was extremely popular for people exercising and a key link between the coastal communities.
“During summer months everyone uses them, you’d never have to think twice about going on your own.”
Short said she didn’t know who the victims were, but hoped they were recovering well in private.
Police advised the community to walk on the tracks in pairs, not alone, and to be aware of their surroundings.
They are looking for a man described as Ma¯ori, aged in his mid-20s, around 178cm tall, and overweight.
He wore a baseball cap and a dark, short-sleeved top and fled the November 8 incident on foot into Beechwood Rd.
“These incidents all occurred in daylight on popular sections of walking tracks and we believe there are members of the public who would have been in the area at these times and may have seen suspicious activity or a male fitting this description,” McNeill said.
A team of detectives would be carrying out inquiries relating to the assaults, McNeill said.
“We ask the public to be vigilant and if you notice any suspicious activity, call 111 immediately.”