Teen heroes bullied for rescuing beaten officer

Evelina Laulu. Photo / Janna Dixon

The two sisters who rescued Tuakau policeman John Connolly from a savage beating say they are being bullied out of town.

Sixteen-year-old Evelina Laulu has spoken publicly for the first time of the day she and Sarah, 14, pulled the unconscious constable away from a gang of teenagers who were allegedly kicking and bashing him.

Connolly had intervened when he saw the girls' cousin being picked on but the gang of teenagers turned on him.

Evelina says she ran in to help. "My reaction was, 'holy s***', that would have been us if it wasn't for him.' I was trying to pull him out.

"I wasn't scared. I just focused on getting him out of there. But everything happened so fast.

"I want to thank him, because if the table was turned around it could have been us."

Police have charged 13 boys and girls, aged between 14 and 18, with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

They are to appear in Pukekohe District Court this week. Police have also spoken to two 13-year-olds about last month's attack.

Yesterday, Police Minister Judith Collins said she had visited Connolly at Tuakau police station last week.

"He's got a very big titanium plate in his head and massive stitching right across the top of his skull - but he is slowly improving."

She acknowledged the girls' bravery and urged the family to talk to their local MP, National's Paul Hutchison, about getting a new Housing NZ home outside the area.

The girls' mother, Wilhemina Laulu, said the mother of one of the accused teenagers threatened her younger daughter.

"It is unsafe for me and my family. It is a very small community. Everyone is related to one another."

She had warned the school on the day of the attack that she was concerned about the girls' safety, but they had done nothing.

Wilhemina said racial tensions and youth gangs such as the South Crips Group (SCG) are creating a climate of fear in the town.

"It's only me protecting my children here. We are like gypsies at the moment, just waiting and hoping that we can move. I just want to live in a better area so I can get a good start for my family."

Evelina wants to study music and art, but says there is little opportunity to do so in Tuakau.

She pulled out of school last year because of illness, and now Sarah refuses to go back because she gets bullied without her big sister there."We are constantly feeling frightened," Evelina said. "We can't walk out of the house without being attacked or abused."

Tuakau College principal Chris Betty said the school expects to conclude its inquiry into its students' actions this week, but he added that some of the teenagers had been advised by their lawyers not to co-operate with the school inquiry.

He acknowledges the school student centre received a call from Wilhemina Laulu, but isn't aware of it having specifically warned about a fight. He denies that there are gangs, racial attacks or taunts at the school.

"There is no culture of bullying at school. We try to encourage the kids to say something to someone if they are being bullied. We have our whanau system to identify those responsible."

The police have given the Laulu family a letter of support to Housing NZ, but the family says there is little more the police can do. Wilhemina Laulu says she and her family had been involved in Black Power since she was aged 11, and she had two Mongrel Mob cousins who had died.

"That's why it appals me to think of that type of life for my children. I want something positive for them."