Teen arsonists need love - victim

"An innocent elderly victim was targeted in her own home, a place where she should have been able to be safe and feel safe. We know the Ra¯ nui community will be as horrified as we are."

Detective Senior Sergeant Roger Small

An elderly victim of an arson attack says the teenagers responsible for the fire ‘‘need love’’, her neighbour says.

Four teenagers deliberately set a fire and smashed a window at the 88-year-old woman’s house in West Auckland, police said.

Molly, who lived next door, said the 88-year-old victim was ‘‘coping beautifully’’ after the attack on Sunday night.

When Molly suggested the teens needed to be punished, the arson victim replied: ‘‘no Molly, they need love’’, she said.

The 69-year-old said her neighbour was a brave woman who only had ‘‘love and kindness’’ for everyone around her.

Molly said she went over next door after some youths alerted her to the fire.

‘‘I saw the flames and all I could think was: please find her.’’

Police said the teens, aged between 14 and 18 years old, knocked on the Ra¯nui woman’s door on Sunday night, asking for a drink of water.

She gave them the drink, but when they returned shortly after, she asked them to leave.

Two of the girls reacted by smashing one of her windows, police said.

The victim called a neighbour and placed a couch up against the window to secure it overnight.

She then went to bed but was woken by a smoke alarm, and her couch fully ablaze.

Luckily, she was not injured and firefighters managed to contain the fire, a police spokesperson said. ‘‘The victim is doing well but is naturally shaken by what has occurred.’’

Detective Senior Sergeant Roger Small described it as an ‘‘appalling’’ crime. ‘‘An innocent elderly victim was targeted in her own home, a place where she should have been able to be safe and feel safe. ‘‘We know the Ra¯ nui community will be as horrified as we are by this incident and so we urge anyone with information to call police as soon as possible,’’ Small said.

The victim was a parishioner of St Malachy’s Catholic Church in Ra¯nui. A church spokesperson declined to comment.

Age Concern Auckland chief executive Kevin Lamb said older Aucklanders were often targeted by criminals.

‘‘It is an unfortunate reminder for us all to regularly check on our neighbours, friends and family, and to call the emergency services without hesitation.’’

Late yesterday police said a 14-year-old female had been charged with burglary, arson and wilful damage and an 18-year-old male had been charged with burglary and arson.