Kiwi boys stand as few men will

**Odd** · 05-27-11, 08:09 AM

Hero schoolkids thwart girl's abduction | Stuff.co.nz

Three Hastings schoolboys rescued a 12-year-old girl by threatening to attack two men who were trying to drag her away.

"The other boys told them that if they didn't go away right now they would get a hiding," Hastings Boys' High School pupil Liam Mataira, 15, said yesterday, describing the rescue he had made with friends Ben Hayllar and Tama McKenzie.

"We just jumped in front and pulled her away. The men were over six feet tall. I was taller than them, but they were quite stocky.

"They just started swearing. They looked like they had been taking drugs – they were all twitchy and stuff."

How many 15yo boys in your school district would do so? How many would live blog on Twitter instead, or maybe dial 911 when they were clear, but probably just shuffle along noticing nothing as they'd been taught? Conflict can be averted if you ignore it well enough. Remember your lessons.

Yesterday, Hastings Intermediate put on a morning tea with pizza for the heroes, attended by the girl they had saved.

"She was all smiley and jumping up and down," Liam said.

Boys' High principal Robert Sturch said he would make a fuss of the boys at morning assembly today.

Sergeant Eden Sewell, of Hastings, said the boys had done the right thing.

"They did real well," he said. "It took a bit of courage on their part and prevented something a lot more serious from happening."

The police would make sure the boys received recognition for their bravery.

On this day anyway NZ seems to recall men come from boys and celebrated these three graduating to their roles as men instead of shunning them. (They should have told a teacher!) I only wish I saw such stories more on our shores - the predators are happy to do their part.

Well done, men.

Two men were arrested after a similar incident in central Hastings yesterday involving a 17-year-old female.

Two male hominids. They deserve not be called men.

**lewisipso** · 05-27-11, 12:55 PM

Excellent job! Well done!

**pac201** · 05-27-11, 09:32 PM

Great job!!!

**JeffW** · 05-28-11, 09:21 AM

Great job by the boys. I like to think that we have some students that would be up to the task. Hell several of our gang members would probably kick their a$$.