Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has called the brutal assault on a 12-year-old girl outside an Auckland McDonald's "horrific and unacceptable".
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon after the young girl had enjoyed a meal with her friends at McDonald's in Glenfield.
They had been laughing together, which led another girl at the restaurant to believe she was being mocked, the 12-year-old's family say.
Outside the restaurant the girl demanded an apology, before allegedly pinning the 12-year-old to the ground. She was repeatedly kicked in the face, leaving her covered in blood.
Police are speaking to one person over the incident and they will be referred to Youth Aid.
The assault comes as the Government faces increasing criticism over the level of crime across the country.
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Hipkins called the attack "horrific" but insisted New Zealand is a safe place to live.
The assault comes as the Government faces increasing criticism over the level of crime across the country. (Source: Breakfast)
"I think New Zealand is a safe country, but I think any incident like what we've seen here is horrific and unacceptable and always has been and always will be.
"No parents or victims should have to go through an experience like that."
The girl came from a migrant family who had just moved to New Zealand from the Philippines in August last year.
While police haven't confirmed the attack was racially motivated, Hipkins was questioned about the lack of hate crime legislation.
He said that many of the crimes are already major offences and that the debate around hate crime laws would be highly politicised, affecting the victims.
"I don't think that the victims of hate crimes' interests would be furthered by a debate in Parliament that would have been incredibly divisive where there wouldn't have been any political consensus."
Hipkins said the lack of agreement in Parliament would make it unlikely to go through in an election year.
"From our side of the isle, we do think there is more that could be done in the area of hate crime, but we have not gotten agreement from the other side."
The Law Commission is currently working on a review of New Zealand's hate crime legislation.
Community needs to 'come together'
Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust's Jeet Suchdev said the plight of migrants in New Zealand is becoming worse thanks to crime. (Source: Breakfast)
Also joining Breakfast this morning, migrant community advocate Jeet Suchdev said the plight of new Kiwis is becoming worse.
"What we saw yesterday, it was really appalling. It was really sad to see this kind of violence in New Zealand.
"This kind of news travels fast to other countries.
"They start to think whether it's right to be here in New Zealand."
He wants to see the community come together to address the problems at the source, making Aotearoa a better place to move to.
"Awareness has to be created. All the communities have to come together.
"We have to make sure that at the school, this kind of awareness has to be created."
"Everybody has to play a role in this," he said.
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