A primary school principal says parents should consider whether to allow their children to walk to school alone after a man allegedly attacked a girl walking in Ngunguru.
Police said they were appealing for information after a 14-year-old girl reported a man grabbing her from behind as she walked on Ngunguru Rd, near the intersection of Munro Pl, about 8pm on Tuesday.
Ngunguru School principal Rick Sayer said he was distressed by the incident - the girl was a former pupil of the school - but urged parents not to panic. "Obviously it's a horrible thing to have happened. But I am a bit wary of creating hysteria," he said. "If [parents] had planned on their children walking to and from school, they obviously need to consider the health and safety of that."
Mr Sayer said yesterday he was meeting with his management team to consider how best to alert parents to the incident.
A woman who said she was the victim's sister posted on the Tutukaka Coast Facebook page warning residents of the alleged attack and asking them to keep an eye out.
