Police hunt for trio who assaulted teenage driver

Police are searching for three youths who dragged a teenage girl off a Rotorua street and sexually assaulted her early on Sunday.

The attack took place in Linton Park, a reserve in Western Heights suburb, between 1am and 2am, after the girl was forced to abandon her car when it ran out of petrol.

The Daily Post reported that she started walking along the road when she was approached by three youths.

One youth was carrying a knife and the trio forced her into Linton Park where she said they sexually violated her.

Rotorua CIB detectives are hunting for three Maori youths who they suspect may have stopped the assault only when they saw the headlights of a passing car. Detective Warwick Webber said police also wanted to speak to a middle-aged to elderly man who stopped to help the girl by giving her petrol for her car after she was attacked.

"The teenager told him what had happened to her so the events must be sticking in his mind," Mr Webber said.

Police would not reveal the age of the victim but said she suffered no physical injuries as a result of the sexual assault.

She reported the attack to family members as soon as she got home, and they immediately alerted Rotorua police.

The victim was unable to provide a full description of the three offenders.

- NZPA