Auckland bus attack: Boy fearful of riding bus, Transport Minister Simeon Brown calls for investigation

A 16-year-old schoolboy targeted in a racially motivated attack on an Auckland bus says he is now scared to catch public transport and “faces danger every single day”.

Jason, who hid his smashed teeth when he met with Transport Minister Simeon Brown on Wednesday morning, said it meant a lot to him when an elderly man intervened during the Friday-morning attack.

The injured teen and his parents told Brown and National list MP Nancy Lu they wanted to see better safety on public transport.

“I feel very fearful when I step on the bus, but I have to bus every day,” said Jason.

”This time it is me as a 6′2, 16-year-old male who had some ability to protect myself,” he said, explaining that next time the victim might not be able to.

”It just means we face danger every single day from now on.“

He praised the elderly man who stood up to the pole-wielding attacker.

”This bus driver did not do anything to help.

National MPs Simeon Brown and Nancy Lu meet with the 16-year-old schoolboy, Jason, who was attacked on an Auckland bus on Friday. Photo / Michael Craig

”We need to show everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand that when you face danger there will be someone standing up.

”Who knows, maybe because of me, there will be one more person who stands up to [help].

”Hopefully, next time when things like this happen around you, please offer help.”

The schoolboy had three teeth knocked out and two teeth damaged after he was attacked on the bus in Auckland.

Brown said as the local MP and Transport Minister, he was seeking advice on whether proper procedures were followed by AT staff during the attack.

“Ultimately, this is unacceptable, it’s not about laying blame.

“It seems to me listening to Jason, the bus driver’s priority was continuing his route …”

“We don’t want this happening again,” Brown said.

An Auckland Transport spokesperson said they were unable to comment on the matter because it was an “ongoing police investigation”.

Brown acknowledged Jason’s bravery in the way he responded to the attack. “He is a role model despite difficult circumstances.”

Jason said AT had not contacted his family in the past five days.

“The bus driver told me to get off the bus because he has to pick up more passengers,” Jason said.

“The only time the [bus driver] left his seat was to clean the blood. He didn’t offer any type of help. I had to call the police myself.”

The teen said he wanted the woman responsible caught.

His mum said she had reservations about him catching public transport since the incident.

Jason said he suffered a large facial wound alongside the broken teeth.

ACC and insurance would not cover the full costs of the injuries, with the cost of dental repairs coming out their own pockets.

Jason’s mother began crying as she showed media photos of Jason’s baby teeth, which she has kept over the years because she took pride in helping his son take care of his teeth as he grew up.

Jason said the initial quote for the repair was $6000, but there would be future costs because the recovery would be long.

‘Horrific’ attack, community rallies around boy

National list MP Nancy Lu described the attack as “horrific”, but said the Chinese community had rallied around the boy.

Lu said the physical and mental harm the attack had caused Jason could not be understated.

Lu said as an MP she had been helping the family, who have lived in New Zealand for more than seven years, get in touch with various agencies.

“Across New Zealand … it’s not just about a Chinese boy … it’s everyone in New Zealand,” she said.

Brown said the electorate office would work with the family to ensure they received all the support they were entitled to.

Lu said local community service providers had also reached out to offer the family help.

Racial slurs hurled at schoolboy before attack

The Chinese-New Zealand schoolboy was randomly attacked by a woman on an Auckland bus last Friday about 9am.

The woman started yelling racial slurs at the boy before attacking him with a metal rod, unprovoked.

He lost three teeth and had two more damaged in the attack.

The boy has lived in New Zealand for seven years, almost half his life, and said this was the first time he had experienced a racially motivated attack.

“I was taking the bus to Panmure, and just past Pakuranga Plaza, a woman started verbally abusing me and then immediately started to physically abuse me,” the schoolboy, who asked not to be named, told the Herald.

“I was just listening to music, scrolling my phone, and then it happened. She just stood up and hit me.”

Acting Detective Senior Sergeant James Mapp said an unknown woman boarded the bus before assaulting the victim with an object.

“This was an unprovoked assault, which left the victim with serious facial injuries.

“We understand the fear and concern events like this inflict on the community and we will continue to pursue every lead to hold this person to account.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident can contact police on 105 and quote file number 240628/8342, or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald, focusing on crime and breaking news. Lyth began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei.