Elderly Woman Attacked In Her Eltham Home

The NZPA released a report today stating that an elderly woman had been physically and sexually assaulted in her home at Eltham, Taranaki.

"An elderly woman is in hospital this morning following a home invasion during which she was physically and sexually assaulted.

Police received a call around 6.15 this morning to an address in the Soldiers Park area of Eltham. Someone had broken into the home of a woman in her 70s and attacked her.

She is currently in Taranaki Base Hospital with moderate injuries and police hope to speak to her later today to obtain more detail about the attack.

The investigation is in its very early stages so no more information is available at this stage. The exact age and address of the woman are not being released in order to protect her identity.

Update 17 Sept 09

Taerata Daniel Turahui, aged 17 at the time of the attack was jailed for 12 years for the rape of the 73 year old woman. The Taranaki Daily News has stated that he is related to Cheyne Reihana Turahui who, aged 15, was jailed in 2007 for an attack on Eltham man Brendan Hareb with a wooden paling in 2006 (see our previously published report below) Full details of the sentencing may be found here: Pensioner's teen rapist jailed

Other Incidents in Eltham

Eltham (pop. 1983) is the village where a couple of householders were savagely beaten by four men whilst trying to protect their property in 2006

Jesse Christian Dolman, 21, was later given twelve years on two charges of causing grievous bodily harm.Cheyne Reihana Turahui, 16, was sentenced to seven years and eight months on charges of causing grievous bodily harm, burglary, intentional damage and possessing an offensive weapon. Dolman was later refused leave to appeal his twelve year term.

There is no update on the Sentencing of a third offender Lex Curtis Willemsen, 18, for causing grievous bodily harm.

And a fourth man, Victor Lawrence Tai, 20, admitted an amended charge of common assault and was jailed for three months.

Mr Hareb, one of the injured residents lost an eye in the attack and suffered fractures to his skull and eye sockets, hearing loss and the use of an arm, he was also left with brain damage. The men later expressed their anger at the leniency of the sentences.

Eltham also hit the news after two packs belong to murdered German backpacker Birgit Brauer were found hidden by a lake near to the village. (Ms Brauer had been hitch hiking between Wanganui and New Plymouth, Eltham is on that route)

Michael Scott Wallace was only sentenced to 18 years non parole for the murder. He had 65 previous convictions dating back to his youth, including abduction and rape of a woman for which he was jailed in 1984, armed robbery, cannabis possession, aggravated assault, dozens of burglary and dishonesty offences that were all committed to finance his drug addiction. He was a long term user of methamphetamine.