News

Three young women were assaulted in Dunedin on the night of Saturday 28 June on Cargill Street. Footage of the attack has been widely shared across social media sites, showing the women being punched and kicked by seven other teenagers. One girl was kicked in the forehead so hard that it left an imprint on her face. It is believed a young male accompanying the attackers filmed the video.

The three women, Tae Flavell, Makayla Spiers and Annaelise Cooper, spoke to a Campbell Live reporter to discuss the attack. They claimed the attack began after the girls, who all work full-time, asked the school-aged teens to stop kicking over wheelie bins in the street. Flavell, who was visibly upset on the show, said “I want people to realise that you don’t have to do anything wrong [to get attacked].” She said that without any provocation, the teenagers “beat us to the point that we didn’t think we would get out.” Flavell reported being dragged several meters down the road, where she was “pushed to the ground, repeatedly kicked in the ribs and swung by her hair.” She was dumped with such force that her ankle was broken.

Cooper, aged 19, told the reporter “I thought they were trying to kill me,” so her main focus was on protecting herself. She said that just as she thought the attack was over, another girl approached her, looked her in the face “and boots me in the head.”

The third victim, Makayla Spiers, believes she was “left alone” by the attackers because, she thinks, some of them recognised her. She says she called one of them by name, who was a junior at her school when Spiers was a senior. Spiers begged them to stop but they continued as she remained helpless. “I saw my best friend being kicked in the head on the ground by eight girls.”

Senior Sergeant Mark Crawford, of Dunedin police, told ONE News, “We’re following a few positive leads and we’re also following up an earlier incident as well which may have involved members of this group.” He said that the victims had been referred to victim support, but would not comment on whether charges had yet been laid.

If the offenders are found and charged, they will be treated as children in a youth court which, Campbell Live reported, “angers the older victims.” The police investigation is continuing.