Abducted teen's clothes may contain attacker's DNA

Police are hoping DNA taken from the clothes of a teenager abducted near Nelson on Wednesday night will help identify her attacker.

The 16-year-old was walking along Ellis St in Brightwater, 21km southwest of Nelson, with headphones in her ears and did not hear her attacker's car pull up behind her, police said.

She was pulled screaming into the back seat and driven to a nearby road where the man attempted to assault her.

The teenager managed to fight the man off, receiving minor injuries in the process.

Police interviewed the distressed teen yesterday after she was unable to give a description of the vehicle or assailant on Wednesday night.

Detective Senior Sergeant Wayne McCoy appealed for Ellis Street residents who may have heard the abduction or seen the teenager to contact police.

Mr McCoy described her as medium build with brown hair tied up, wearing black pants with a black and white chequered hoodie, and a white cap.

She did not know the offender, and it appeared to have been a random attack.

- NZPA