Third Masterton attack in 3 months

A young Masterton girl has been assaulted in the vicinity of Queen Elizabeth Park, making it the third attack in the area in less than three months.

Police have confirmed they are investigating an assault on a 14-year-old girl in broad daylight on Tuesday.

The girl was walking in the park about 8.30am when she was attacked.

It is not known if she was sexually assaulted, as allegedly happened to the victims of the other two incidents, which occurred in late August and September. Separate arrests have been made in those two cases.

The Tuesday attack happened while the schoolgirl was walking along a path that skirts the Waipoua River, between the swing bridge leading to the Wairarapa Hospital and Colombo Rd.

Police want to hear from anyone who was in the area at the time, especially a person known to have been walking a small black dog at that time and who may have seen what happened to the girl or noticed the attacker running away.

Previously, Wairarapa CIB had warned anyone walking alone - particularly at night - to take precautions to keep themselves safe.

In the earlier incidents, a 14-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted in Colombo Rd in September, about 9.30pm on a Saturday.

A man, 23, is facing charges in Masterton District Court.

In August, a 14-year-old girl was forced down a bank near the swing bridge and police believed it was a sexually motivated attack. The incident happened about 5pm on a Saturday. A boy, 16, has been referred to Youth Aid.