Red marks where the boy (9) said he was assaulted.
Red marks where the boy (9) said he was assaulted.
A nana has spoken of the heartache when her disabled grandson told her he had been assaulted by a gang member who lives in the same street.
But what has shocked the Napier nana even more, she says, is the response from police who told her, “if it happens again call 111”.
Yesterday afternoon, the nine-year-old was riding his bike past a neighbour’s home on his way back from the shop. His nana said her grandson said he was grabbed off his bike by a gangster, had his hair pulled “and I’m not sure what’s happened to his face”.
“He also said to my grandson, ‘I’m going to teach you how to be not so naughty.”
The home where this incident happened is just a few doors from where the boy lives with his grandmother - who said they have never had any issues with their neighbours.
“My grandson did nothing. The gangster asked him ‘are you Mongrel Mob?’ My grandson said no, and he said ‘well I’m Black Power and we rule these streets of Tamatea’.
“He said ‘go tell your ma to come here and I’ll fight her as well’.”
The boy grabbed his bike, went home and threw his bike into the driveway, before running crying into his nana’s arms.
“He cried for about 30 minutes, and that was sad for me,” she said. “I had only seen him that hysterical once before.”
The 47-year-old nana said her grandson has severe learning disabilities and the capacity of a small child and though he is 9 years old, like many children is trusting of everyone.
Once the nana had gotten her grandson’s version of what happened, she dialled 111. A police patrol was in the area and contacted the nana, before visiting the gangster down the road.
Police said the 21-year-old denied grabbing the boy off his bike but said he patted his head.
“He told police he said ‘he had to start to be a good boy’,” the nana said.
“Police said, ‘we are not going to do anything but if it happened again, call 111 and we will come and deal with it’.”
The nana said she was unhappy with that response.
“I said no, you have to deal with this now because a fully grown man has assaulted my grandson for no reason and look at the side of his face. I said I was not going to let this go. This person has no reason to grab my grandson for nothing,” she told the Herald.
The nana said her grandson had been to the home where the patched gang member lives previously, but nothing had happened.
“I told him not to go there without asking my permission,” she said.
A police spokesperson confirmed the callout in Taradale.
“Police attended an incident yesterday afternoon in Napier, where it was reported a child had been assaulted by a known male,” the spokesperson said.
“Police acknowledge the stress this incident has caused and we will follow up with the family and the victim to ensure the appropriate outcomes are achieved.”
Last June, the Herald also revealed a Mongrel Mobster left a 3-year-old covered in blood and bleeding from his mouth and nose following an alleged attack on the boy’s dad in a Hastings park.
The 3-year-old victim from last year's attack by a gang member on the child's dad.
