Bashed teens can't remember attack

A teenage couple bashed nearly to death in a mystery attack in a West Auckland park last weekend cannot recall anything of what happened, police say.

The man, 19, was found with a fractured skull and bleeding to the brain in Starling Park in Swanson on Sunday morning.

Shortly before that his 17-year-old girlfriend, with multiple facial injuries, went to a nearby house pleading for help.

Police said yesterday the injuries the pair suffered could easily have killed them.

Detective Sergeant Roger Small said neither could recall details of the attack.

He said that was a common feature in bad physical assaults and was the body's way of protecting itself from the emotional trauma.

Both had been transferred out of hospital intensive care wards and into medical wards.

Mr Small said the young woman "has got an awful lot of surgery ahead of her and a lot of rehabilitation" and the man was likely to go to a neurological unit in the next few days.

Police needed help from anyone who may have seen the couple from about 8pm on Saturday until they were found about 7am on Sunday.

It was possible they both lay unconscious in the park for several hours.

Anyone with information could ring Mr Small on (09) 839-0653 or the Crimestoppers line (0800) 555-111.

- NZPA