The parents of the 11-year-old girl who was the victim of an attempted abduction in Queenstown this week say the incident is a "real wake-up call".
The father, who declined to be named, said the incident gave the whole family a "big fright".
But his daughter, a Queenstown Primary pupil, was a "good, straightforward kid" who had dealt with the incident remarkably well.
She had been shaken after the incident but felt better after talking through the ordeal with police officers.
The formal police interview, conducted in Dunedin, would be used in lieu of her appearance in court if charges were laid.
He said she had been walking from the primary school to Wakatipu High School for after-school lessons.
"Usually, my wife takes her, but she was away so [his daughter] said, 'I'll walk up there'. It's only five minutes but she arrived before the high school finishes for the day, so it was quiet," he said.
The man, who police described as a Maori aged about 30 to 35, of solid build and short to medium height, tried to grab her arm and ordered her into his dark green car.
"She pulled her arm away and ran. She's a good girl," he said.
He didn't think parents should have to wrap their children in cotton wool or take away their sense of independence.
"I can't tell my daughter she is not allowed to walk anywhere without me anymore. She would laugh at me. I think the more people use the streets, the safer they are.
"We need to empower our children with a strong sense of responsibility."
He praised police and Queenstown Primary School principal John Western for their support.
The mother, who declined to be named, said she was out of town this week when she got the call from her husband.
"My husband told me what happened... It's unbelievable. I think it's a shock for the everybody in the community," she said.
Her daughter was "coping really well".
She said she didn't want Queenstown children to become too frightened about what happened to her daughter.
"I don't want to scare my daughter or any other child but they need to beware and to move around in pairs," she said. "The police have been fantastic. Let's just hope he is caught as soon as possible," she said.
Detective Sergeant Grahme Bartlett said inquiries were continuing.
A number of "persons of interest" had been interviewed after information was received from a witness to the incident.
Other people had also provided information about people matching the man's description.
