The family of the woman who was carjacked and attacked in Panmure yesterday say they are distressed and angry at the brutality of the attack.
Police are still looking for the two young women who dragged Nancy 'Moi' Voon from her car, hit her on the head several times and kicked her outside the YMCA in the east Auckland suburb, just before midday.
Nancy 'Moi' Voon Photo: Supplied
She is in hospital, bruised in multiple places, has a broken nose and a large black eye, and was concussed.
Mrs Voon's son, Chee Yen Phua, told Checkpoint with John Campbell the family was lost for words to see her so badly injured.
"What happened was quite brutal and quite random.
"It's quite distressing to see her like that. She's such a lovely woman and for her to go through that, no one wants to see it. It's so hard for us to see her in so much pain."
He said he understood the CCTV footage of the attack was extremely violent and he did want to look at it.
Mr Phua said his mother, who is in her 60s and weighs only 45kg, would take a long time to recover from her injuries.
The family was struggling to understand why her attackers bashed her after taking her bag and keys, he said.
"Our question is why? You didn't have to do it. Get what you want and just bugger off. It's a car, it's a handbag, but why? That's why we want this to be out in the public so one, they can be caught, and two, we can stop this from happening."
Mrs Voon in hospital after the attack in Panmure on Wednesday Photo: Supplied
Police said the attack was an extreme, gratuitous act of violence on a very vulnerable person.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Newman said the police have had an overwhelming response to CCTV footage of the attack but they were still looking for the assailants.
"The assault itself was an act of gratuitous and extreme and unnecessary violence and we are determined to locate the people responsible and bring them to justice."
Mr Newman would not comment on suggestions Mrs Voon was targeted because she was an older Asian woman.
"All I can say is that victim was a very vulnerable member of our community, which makes the attack even more upsetting and gratuitous really."
Mrs Voon's son, Chee Yen Phua, with RNZ's John Campbell Photo: RNZ / Calvin Samuel
Call for more police support
Panmure town centre manager Chris Sutton said the attack was very frightening but it was a one-off.
"We've never had that happen within our town centre. I've been here 10 years so that's a one-off thing.
Ms Sutton said the township had 34 CCTV cameras and a security officer and the business group could not afford more security.
She said the police give very little support.
"We've been fighting for years and years. I'm quite frankly tired. One day there were 13 young men sitting in a row, three of whom I could identify as having done damage in the town. I rang the police, nothing happened."
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Newman said the police had great connections with the community and a team worked very closely with people there.