Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Hayward, Counties Manukau Police:

Enquiries are continuing as part of Operation Casting, the homicide 
investigation currently underway in Manurewa.

Police have now completed the next of kin notification process in this 
investigation.
 

At this stage Police can confirm that the victim is a 16-year-old girl.

Her family are understandably devastated by her death and are struggling to come to terms with what has occurred. They have requested that Police do not release her name at this stage and are  seeking an interim suppression from the Coroner's office.

Our community will in no doubt be shocked by the young age of the victim in this investigation. Unfortunately, Police are not in a position to comment on every specific aspect of enquiries that have been made to date and others which are still ongoing.

Our priority is the integrity of the case and releasing too much information at this stage could jeopardise that. However, we would like to reassure our community that our detectives are working hard and are piecing together what has led to this girl’s death.

Police are continuing to analyse CCTV footage as part of our investigation& and make enquiries in the wider area.

Anyone with information is asked to contact 105 quoting the file number 210911/6094 or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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