Papatoetoe anti-Indian graffiti: 61-year-old accused gets name suppression from court
Papatoetoe residents found the spray painted message outside a school on Saturday. (Supplied photo)
Police say the man, a local, has been charged with offensive behaviour and wilful damage.
A 61-year-old man arrested for painting a graffiti outside a Papatoetoe school inciting racial violence against Kiwi-Indians has been granted name suppression by a judge.
The man, a local, was produced in the Manukau court on April 16. The police have charged him on two counts under the Summary Offences Act 1981.
The first one is under Section 11(1)(a) for willfully damaging public property by defacing a footpath with graffiti. It is punishable by up to three months in jail or a fine of up to $2,000.
The other charge is under Section 4(1)(a) for behaving in an offensive manner in a public place. It is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.
Earlier today, Inspector Dave Christoffersen said the police had been making enquiries throughout the week.
“I can reassure the community that we have assessed this particular event as an isolated incident and that tere is no wider risk to the community,” he said.
“We have made this assessment with information obtained through the investigation and after interviewing the man who has been charged.
“I am unable to go into the specifics of this, as we now need to let the court process take its course.”
Police were called into the south Auckland suburb on Saturday after passerbys found a racially intimidating message painted outside a school.
'Kill All Indian', the message read. Residents first noticed the words spray painted in red on the ground in front of a gate at Papatoetoe Central School on April 11, 2026.
"A woman who noticed it took a photo immediately and sent it to us," said Kunal Bhalla, who is a member of the local political group Papatoetoe Otara Action Team (POAT).
Established in 1857, the school is one of the oldest in New Zealand, and nearly three in every five students are of Indian-origin.
The intimidatory message was later painted over after the police were called in. (Supplied photo)
Residents say the timing of the intimidatory message is of particular concern.
Just this week, Indian-origin candidates won three of the four seats in the re-run for the local board's Papatoetoe subdivision. They returned to power amid widespread race-based categorisation on social media over last year's elections, which were annulled due to voter fraud.
In her judgment on March 9, High Court Justice Jane Anderson noted social media comments portraying the irregularities as "immigrant corruption", and as concluding that the "Indian candidates masterminded fraudulent votes", were misleading and improper assessment of the decision.
Papatoetoe has evolved into one of Auckland’s most Asian suburbs, with South Asians now forming the largest ethnic group.
The deputy prime minister has already warned Indians here could be vulnerable to race-based sentiments.
Speaking at a public meeting in central Auckland on February 13, David Seymour said misinformation about the free trade agreement (FTA) with India is spawning a negative sentiment about New Zealanders of Indian-origin, especially in South Auckland.
"I would just make the point that there is an anti-Indian sentiment out there in the community. I've picked it up, especially in South Auckland."
He pointed specifically to comments by politicians early in the year. "We have had a period over the last, say, two weeks where there's been a lot of people saying a lot of things about India, about Kiwis of Indian origin, about the FTA."
