Shirt ripped from boy, 4, because it was New Zealand gang's color

A gang member ripped the shirt off the back of a 4-year-old boy playing in a local park in the North Island coastal town of Whakatane, which is known as the territory of the indigenous Maori Black Power gang.

By David Barber

Wellington (dpa) May 12, 2010 -- A gang member ripped the shirt off the back of a 4-year-old boy playing in a local park because it was red -- the color favoured by a rival gang, according to a news report Wednesday.

The incident happened in the North Island coastal town of Whakatane, which is known as the territory of the indigenous Maori Black Power gang.

Red is the favoured color of the rival Mongrel Mob, the New Zealand Press Association reported.

Senior Police Sergeant Bruce Jenkins said police were looking for a Maori gang member, thought to be in his mid 20s to early 30s, who approached the child while his father's back was turned, poked him in the chest and shouted at him before physically removing the shirt.

"We are very concerned about the age of the victim in this incident," he said. "That someone is picking on a kid in this manner is very worrying, and we are looking to hold them to account for their actions."

Police said there had been a number of gang color-related assaults in the area.

Last year, a 16-year-old boy was run down and killed outside his home by a vehicle driven by Mongrel Mob members because he was wearing a yellow shirt -- a color associated with the rival Tribesmen gang. A teenager was assaulted by a group in a supermarket car park in November because he was wearing a red T-shirt.

Copyright: dpa