14-year-old reports rape by three men

ROTORUA - Police are investigating the rape of a 14-year-old girl by at least three men.

The girl went to police on Thursday to lay a complaint, alleging she was dragged behind bushes and raped while walking alone in Rotorua early last Sunday.

Detective Sergeant Garry Hawkins of Rotorua CIB said that between 2am and 5am on Sunday the girl was chased by four young men and dragged across the road to bushes at the front of Rotorua Girls' High School.

The girl told police she was raped by at least three of the men over a 20-minute period before managing to struggle free.

Mr Hawkins said the girl kicked and screamed for help but there were few people around at that hour of the morning.

The girl had taken four days to make the complaint to police because she had sneaked out that night with a friend and did not want to upset her parents.

The girl said she and her friend had become separated and she was walking home when she was attacked.

She described her attackers as Maori and aged 17 to 20.

Mr Hawkins said it was possible they might have bruises or scratches on their faces or upper bodies as a result of the girl's struggles.

Mr Hawkins said the teenager was extremely traumatised and police had no reason to disbelieve her complaint.

It was possible residents in the area heard the girl screaming for help or that motorists might have seen the men dragging her across Old Taupo Rd.

- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)