Police to speak with sex assault victim

Police will speak today to a 13-year-old girl who was robbed and sexually assaulted in a public toilet in Hastings.

The girl was taken to the police station about 8pm on Wednesday night by members of the public after she was discovered dazed and confused in the central city.

She told police she was approached by five or six male youths by the Russell Street public toilets between 6pm and 7pm, Senior Sergeant Dave Greig said.

"She was taken into the male toilet by those youths, her handbag was taken from her and she was sexually assaulted by one of the youths."

A Hastings police spokesman said today the girl would be interviewed about the incident this afternoon.

Initial descriptions of the youths were that they were in their mid to late teens and were Maori or Polynesian.

Mr Greig said police would be reviewing closed circuit television footage as part of their investigation,

He urged anyone who witnessed the incident to contact police.

- NZPA