Police admit 'stuff up' over assault on schoolboy

Police have admitted a "stuff-up" and apologised over a delay in investigating a serious assault on a schoolboy -- one of a string of assaults in the past couple of weeks.

Whangarei Intermediate School pupil James Murphy was hospitalised after he was punched in the head by a man last Thursday.

However, police did not interview witnesses to the event until Tuesday this week.

James' father Dennis Murphy said this was despite a suspect's name being given to police on the day of the assault.

James and Mr Murphy were interviewed on Monday night.

An angry Mr Murphy had previously complained that police had seemed "un- motivated" in investigating the attack which left his son shaking and vomiting.

James' assault was one of four on Whangarei school pupils in the past few weeks, leading to warnings for children to not walk home alone.

Northland police boss Superintendent Viv Rickard made a frank admission -- there had been a process "stuff-up", he said.

He declined to go into detail about what happened but said it was unacceptable.

Taking into account factors including James' condition after the assault, police were in a position to interview James and other witnesses on Saturday, Mr Rickard said.

However, a police review had shown there had been an unacceptable delay, he said.

"Our review showed that we made a mistake and I apologise. I acknowledge the mistake and have had a look at things to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Police were making progress in the investigation.

"Our CIB (Criminal Investigation Branch) guys are onto it, they are investigating and we just have to allow them to do their work, and I don't want to conduct the investigation in public because that may make it harder.

"Most importantly, it's about one or two persons, locking them up and taking them off the streets so it's safer for everybody else."

Mr Murphy said police had been brilliant in the past few days.

"It's finally happening -- it's just happening four days late."

He accepted Mr Rickard's apology.

It was one of four attacks reported on Whangarei students after school in the past two weeks, the latest on Friday when two masked teenagers attacked and robbed two 12-year-old schoolgirls in Kamo.

A Whangarei Boys' High School student was punched by a man on March 2, and two other students from the same school were attacked on March 10.

Police are investigating possible links between the central Whangarei attacks.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)