The recently reopened investigation into a shocking assault of a teenage girl with intellectual disability in Mauke has been completed, Cook Islands Police confirmed this week.

It’s been over a year since the incident took place and the reopening of the investigation follows concerns from members of the public about the lack of progress on the case.

When asked for an update, police spokesperson, Trevor Pitt said “the file is completed and is currently being reviewed”.

In previous interviews, Pitt said the case remained active and that a re-investigation was launched to seek further information.

This comes months after a Letter to the Editor, published in this newspaper in December last year, raised concerns about the lack of progress on the case.

The letter detailed how, in January 2024, two older teenage girls attacked a younger girl on a beach in Mauke while a third filmed the incident and shared it online.

The victim suffered significant injuries. Despite video evidence, no charges were laid at the time, prompting outrage from the letter writer, who questioned whether attitudes towards disabled people in the outer islands had truly changed over the years.

Pitt acknowledged that the matter involved more than a single complaint of assault and that certain aspects of the case might ultimately fall under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Crime Prevention Committee (JCPC).

Mauke mayor Joanne Rongoape Stephens earlier stated that the community had taken steps to address violence and bullying, particularly among youth.

Stephens added that the issue was discussed in churches as well.

She expressed hope that reopening the case would lead to a better understanding of why such incidents happen and how they can be prevented.