The parents of a teenager attacked in a violent schoolyard incident that was captured on video are furious no one intervened or called for help.
Police say they are investigating Friday's alleged assault on the boy, which has prevented the 13-year-old victim from returning to his school in Auckland this week.
Newshub has obtained a copy of the cellphone video, which was taken during the lunch hour on Papatoetoe High School's top field.
It shows a boy approaching the victim and punching and kicking him repeatedly for 25 seconds as the 13-year-old tries to shield himself.
"I just felt so sad for my boy because he was alone in that moment. No one came forward, no one stepped in, no one tried to stop it, no one ran for help," the victim's mother Rachel says.
Her year 9 boy accepts he made hurtful remarks to a female classmate earlier in the day.
"Doesn't mean you go around beating people up for that, it's not right," the boy's father Rod says.
The alleged attack by a year 11 happened while a dozen teachers were patrolling the expansive Papatoetoe High School campus.
"That particular incident occurred out of eyesight, and when people engage in these sorts of activities they try to find a place no one can see them, and so instantly we feel for the victim in this situation," Papatoetoe High School's principal and head of the Secondary Principals' Association Vaughan Couillault says.
Counties Manukau Police Inspector Ross Ellwood has confirmed officers are investigating.
"Our investigation is still ongoing and we will look to take follow up action," he said. "Police are working with the school concerned and will be speaking with all parties involved in this incident."
The school says it had no idea of the attack until the boy's father notified them on Monday, before going to the police.
"They are responsible for his care when I drop him off at school and those kids, they are all seniors looking over at him and not doing nothing," Rod says. "It's unacceptable."
Couillault says while it's no excuse schools nationally are seeing more violence since the pandemic, studies have been interrupted and teachers have not been in front of pupils as much "teaching them how to handle conflict".
A decision on disciplinary action in this case he says won't be taken lightly.
"I would consider this to be at the upper end of that range of tools," Couillault says.
The victim's mother more than anything wants to ensure that "people need to feel like they can speak up and can stand up that this is not okay".
