Racial abuse and assault claims mar family outing at Cable Bay

• A family outing at Cable Bay turned distressing with allegations of racial abuse and assault.
• Peter-Lucas Jones claims a woman became hostile after being asked to leash her dog.
• A 63-year-old woman was arrested for common assault and will appear in court later.

What began as a relaxing family outing at Waipapa (Cable Bay), near Taipā, turned into a distressing encounter involving allegations of racial abuse and assault.

Police have investigated a formal complaint from entrepreneur and Northland Regional Councillor Peter-Lucas Jones, who claims a woman became hostile after she was asked to leash her dog, which had been frightening young children. Police confirmed they had received the complaint and spoken to both parties in the matter and witnesses.

A 63-year-old woman was arrested on Thursday and will appear in court at a later date in relation to common assault.

Jones, who Time named one of the world’s 100 top AI influencers magazine last year, said his whānau, including babies and young children, were relaxing under a beach tent when the woman repeatedly threw her frisbee nearby, prompting her unleashed dog to run toward the children.

Māori tech innovator Peter-Lucas Jones at the Time Magazine awards. Photo / Supplied

According to Jones, his niece Aneta, visiting from Australia, politely asked the woman to leash her dog or play elsewhere. Instead of complying, the woman allegedly pushed Aneta, hurled racial slurs, and made derogatory remarks, calling her a “fat, oompaloompa Māori b****” and claiming Ngāti Kahu people were “entitled.”

“She was screaming at the top of her lungs, ‘this is not Māori land, this is not a Māori beach’, and repeatedly called us ‘uneducated cannibals’,” Jones told the Herald.

Jones said he attempted to de-escalate the situation, but claimed the woman continued yelling abuse, threw her frisbee at him, and agitated her unleashed dog. He described the incident as both verbally and physically aggressive, putting the safety of the children at risk.

Peter-Lucas Jones and his whānau were enjoying a lovely day at the beach before it was rudely interrupted.

“We were simply asking her to be respectful, but her behaviour escalated into physical aggression and hate-filled rhetoric,” said Jones. “It’s unacceptable and deeply upsetting that such entitlement and bigotry persist in Aotearoa.”

Jones also recorded parts of the altercation and has provided photographs and video evidence to support his complaint. “There was no reasoning with her,” he said. “This behaviour is not just an affront to us but a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done to confront racism in this country.”

Northland's Cable Bay.

Jones commended his niece for her composure during the incident. “She remained calm in the face of unnecessary aggression and bigotry. Her restraint prevented the situation from escalating further, even though the woman was clearly trying to provoke a reaction.

“This experience was not just upsetting but a reminder of the bigotry and entitlement some people still feel comfortable displaying. All this, because we politely asked her to consider the safety of our babies and take her dog away.

“Respect costs nothing.”