Residents living near a park in west Auckland where it's believed a young couple were brutally assaulted say they now fear for their own safety.
The police say the teenaged victims suffered serious injuries, but little is known about what happened.
They say the pair left their home in the suburb of Massey on Saturday night, and were found in Swanson on Sunday morning.
A couple walking their dog found the 19-year-old man in Starling Park. A short time later his 17-year old partner called at a nearby house asking for help.
The owner of that house, Sharleen Subritzky, says her grandson answered the door to find the young woman covered in blood.
"She just kept asking if I could take her home to her mother, and I said, 'no, in the state you're in I'm going to ring the police.'
"She asked me not to, and I said, 'no, you need help' ".
Ms Subritzky says the large park is a dangerous spot, a place where young people hang out while drinking...and now she fears her family is vulnerable.
Another neighbour, Gillian Halverson, says she's frightened about her daughter walking through the park alone.
The police say the beaten couple suffered head traumas and have severe memory loss.
They have now been moved out of Auckland Hospital's intensive care unit and are in a critical, but stable condition.
