NZ woman holidaying in Cook Islands suffers broken jaw in alleged attack

The woman alleges her jaw was broken when she was attacked in the Cook Islands. Photo / Supplied

A New Zealand woman holidaying in the Cook Islands has returned with a broken jaw, alleging she was attacked by four people, including an off-duty police officer.

She has not laid a complaint with Cook Islands police, but they are investigating after members of the victim's family posted about the assault on social media.

The victim told Pacific Radio News she was at the Rehab nightclub in Avarua, Rarotonga, on June 6 when she was set upon in an unprovoked attack by two men and two women.

"I could feel their fingers on my skull and [they] just kept punching me in the face," she told the station.

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"I could feel some mean punches from the back of my head, all around the side.

"I felt like they were already angry - like I literally was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

She returned to New Zealand the next day. X-ray images showed her jaw was broken in two places.

The woman claimed one of her attackers was an off-duty Cook Islands police officer.

A Kiwi woman suffered a broken jaw while on holiday in Rarotonga last week. Photo / Supplied

She has spoken to New Zealand Police but Cook Islands authorities said they expected to complete their investigation by the end of the week.

"No official complaint was logged with the police, but the accusations warranted an investigation.''

Police said they had been made aware of "scuffles" at the bar that night, which they say were largely managed by security staff. "Claims made against police in terms of assaulting anyone have still not been substantiated,'' police said.

"Speculation and accusations outside of the police process and any subsequent action to be taken, will not help reach the desired factual findings and outcome.''