Girl abducted and raped

A 16-year-old girl was abducted from a street in a small Hawke's Bay town and driven to a remote field where she was subjected to a "cold-blooded" sexual assault by two masked men.

The teenager had been walking along a residential street in Dannevirke at about 7pm on Friday when a car pulled up alongside her.

Two men, who had covered their faces with masks, tried to engage the girl in conversation through the front passenger's window but she ignored them.

Moments later the passenger grabbed her and bundled her into the car, restraining her on the passenger seat.

Detective Sergeant Allan Mullacrane said the girl was driven 1km out of town where the pair bundled her out of the car and into a nearby paddock where they sexually assaulted her.

Mullacrane said the attack lasted about half an hour before the men left, abandoning the girl in the paddock.

The teenager managed to walk to a friend's house where she called police.

Mullacrane said the men had their faces covered with what may have been ski masks.

Police were appealing to the public for sightings of the car, which is described as silver or grey in colour, and possibly a four-door Subaru sedan.

The back number plate was on an angle, and there was a dent in the rear bumper.

Mullacrane said it was highly unusual to have two attackers in a sexual assault and kidnapping case.

He said: "People who rape and do these things generally do it alone.

"When there are two of them there's always the possibility that one of them might lose their nerve."

Kim McGregor, director of Rape Prevention Education, described the attack as "cold blooded and pre-meditated".

"They're looking for a victim."

McGregor said such stranger attacks are terrifying , but make-up only an estimated 10 per cent of sexual crimes.

"This is rare but it's still pretty horrific and a 16-year-old is still a child.

"She was doing nothing wrong but walking.

"It's important that our communities are aware of sexually predatory males who are preying on our young women."

The car was parked on the grass verge opposite 58 Umutaoroa Rd during the attack. Last night forensic scientists scoured the site.

Resident Grant Rowley said he and other neighbours didn't hear anything.

"It wouldn't even be 50 metres from where it happened from our kitchen table."

Rowley said that apart from the occasional boy racer doing burnouts on the grass verge the street hadn't had any trouble.

The two alleged attackers are described as Maori.

The driver was described as being of big build, about 1.8m tall and aged around 25. He wore a singlet and track pants. He had a spiral tattoo on his right upper arm.

The passenger was of smaller build with blue-coloured eyes.