Youth hunted over rape in park

Police are hunting for a youth who raped a 14-year-girl in a Whangarei park on Friday night. Detective Sergeant Rob Huys said the girl had taken a shortcut through Tarewa Park on her way to visit friends between 8pm and 10pm when she was approached by two youths and a female teenager.
Shortly afterward she was raped by one of the youths described as a male Maori and believed to be about 17 years old.
Mr Huys said the girl was helped after the attack by two people, who carried her through the Visitor Information Centre carpark to nearby public toilets.
The attack occurred in a grassed area between Mahana Pl. and the Visitor Information Centre carpark.
The area was poorly lit, prompting police to issue a fresh warning about the dangers of walking alone in dark areas at night.
"For the sake of saving a couple of minutes it's recommended people use the footpath on Otaika Rd which is well lit," Mr Huys said.
Police were seeking sightings of anyone acting suspiciously in the area on Friday night.
Mr Huys said a scene examination that was hampered by poor weather was completed on Saturday and the girl had provided a detailed statement about the attack.
Police had spoken to Mahana Pl. residents and one person had come forward claiming to have heard a verbal row or disturbance in the park about the time the attack happened.
Mr Huys said the young victim was doing well after her ordeal.
"She has been very brave under the circumstances. She is bearing up well."
Police wanted to her from anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area or saw anyone matching descriptions of the three people who had approached the girl, no matter how trivial they thought the information might be.
Descriptions the girl provided:
A male Maori aged 17, with dark short spiky hair and of muscular build. He was wearing a light blue singlet, dark trousers, white shoes and had a blue bandanna tied to his trousers
A tall male Maori aged 15-20 years of slim build. He was wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt.
A female Maori of slim build aged 15 or 16. She had dark hair tied in a ponytail and was wearing a hooded zip-up sweatshirt and blue jeans.
Mr Huys said it was also important he spoke to the people who helped the girl after the attack, because it was likely they would have valuable information to help track down the alleged rapist.
He said those two people were not in any trouble, and should be commended for having helped the girl in the circumstances.
They are described as:
A male Maori aged about 50, of medium build with short dark hair, about 172cm tall and wearing a red jacket.
A Pakeha woman, aged 40-50, about 177cm tall with bushy blonde hair and wearing a light tan jacket over a blue and white striped top.
Meanwhile, police investigating the kidnapping of a Dutch couple at Haruru Falls say they are following leads after appealing for information about a distinctive house the couple had noticed.
Two armed men forced their way into the newlyweds' campervan parked at the falls on November 10.
The couple told police they had seen a house with a metal gate decorated with Christmas-style blue tube lighting.
Detective sergeant Rhys Johnston said police had received about four calls since appealing for information that were being followed up.
There were no significant developments during the weekend with many staff taking a break from the investigation.
Mr Johnston said police hoped to have 35 staff back on the inquiry this week.