Group assault at Glen Innes train station: Teenagers allegedly run to police station for help

Three people have been arrested after a group of “eight large men with balaclavas” set upon two teenage boys and allegedly assaulted one at Glen Innes train station in East Auckland.

The two teenage victims claim to have run from the railway station to the Glen Innes Police Station, where they say they fruitlessly banged on the door for help.

With this being the latest reported emergency incident on and around Auckland’s public transport network, Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson said: “This is not okay. I can assure conversations are being had with the police. [I] feel for the kids, they must be traumatised.”

A woman close to the victims understood one was stabbed, however, a police spokesman told the Herald nobody had any stab wounds or related injuries.

The woman said the incident involved her friend’s teenage son and another boy.

Three people were arrested on Thursday after a group of "eight large men with balaclavas" set upon two teenage boys at Glen Innes train station in East Auckland. Photo / Google

“[They] got off the train at Glen Innes. A group of eight large young men with balaclavas and one smaller, younger teen followed them.

“The boys got a really bad feeling and started to run through Glen Innes towards the police station,” she said.

“The younger boy was caught and [allegedly] stabbed, also knocked to the ground and kicked et cetera.

“My friend’s son was knocking on the police station yelling out for help.”

A police spokesman said they were called to a report from someone saying their friend had been assaulted and had their bag stolen in Glen Innes at 3.50pm Thursday.

The Glen Innes Police Station in Auckland. Photo / Google

“It was alleged a person in the offending group had a knife on them, however, the victim was not stabbed,” the spokesman said.

Police said they attended, and with the assistance of cameras identified a group matching the description at the Glen Innes train station. Three people were taken into custody.

Police could not confirm whether the victims ran to the police station.

The Glen Innes Police Station closes at 4pm, according to business hours published on the New Zealand Police website.

The woman familiar with the victims said: “Apparently a few people stood and watched, but no one called 111. The police did not answer the door, and eventually a woman called out that she was filming and was calling the police and the attackers ran off.

“She [the bystander] took the boys to get medical help and called 111. The younger boy is okay, he has a concussion and was [allegedly] cut but thankfully the [alleged] knife glanced off his collarbone. It could have been much worse.

“This is not the first time these boys have been harassed in the Glen Innes area. It’s just beyond belief.”

Incidents a daily reality on Auckland trains and buses

As police continue to investigate the fatal stabbing of a woman on an Auckland bus on Wednesday, October 23, new figures reveal security and emergency incidents are a daily reality on Auckland’s public transport network.

Auckland Transport (AT) data released to Newstalk ZB under the Official Information Act shows the agency reported an average of more than 93 incidents a week — more than 13 a day — in the year to August.

AT dealt with more than 83 security incidents a week on trains, including almost three incidents of assault, robbery or theft, or attempted robbery or theft.

Emergency services were notified of more than nine incidents a week on buses and more than two incidents a week on ferries.

Auckland Transport data shows the agency reported an average of more than 93 incidents a week — more than 13 a day — in the year to August. Photo / Richard Robinson

In August alone on the train network, AT reported 23 assaults, 58 cases of disorderly behaviour, and nine robberies or thefts — the most since available records began in January 2022.

That coincided with a spate of incidents on Auckland’s bus network, including a racially motivated attack on a teenage boy, racial confrontations, the mugging of passengers, and last month’s fatal stabbing.

Drivers themselves have also been regularly targeted in recent months, including a beating, an alleged racially charged assault, a neck-slashing and a wrench attack.

AT reported 33 attacks on bus drivers in the first half of this year, including an unprovoked attack in Ponsonby — up from 30 in the second half of last year, and 21 in the first half of last year.

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.

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