Editorial: Attacks on women cause for caution in Hawke's Bay

In recent weeks the region has been hit with a hike of attacks on women by a lone male. Photo File

Are we looking at a rogue offender - or a handful of rogues with a similar disposition?

The spate of recent and random indecent assaults on females meted out each time by a lone male begs the question, and beggars belief.

Napier Hill's been hit a few times, as have Taradale and Havelock North. There's speculation as to whether they're linked.

Whatever the motivation, it's about as brazen as it gets. In some of these instances the victims have not been alone.

In Sunday's attack on Napier's Burns Rd the woman was out walking with her children.

And let's remember these attacks aren't akin to the unsavoury Benny Hill Yakety Sax "run -offs"; they're far from slapstick innuendo and far from forgettable if you're the unwitting target.

In reality, the long-term effects of these violations can be profound and highly damaging. There's also a worrying element of premeditation.

The gravitas associated with indecent assault is reflected in our courts, where the offence carries a maximum penalty under the Crimes Act of seven years' imprisonment.

Unrelated or related, the sudden hike in said offences is both puzzling and frightening.

No one wants a state of siege - and I was reminded yesterday that women are far more likely to be harmed in their own homes than in public. But those of us who have daughters walking to and from school and jogging the streets do have genuine cause for caution.

The onus is on the public to call in suspicious activity and, ideally, use cellphones to snap anything likely degenerate.