Four teenagers charged in relation to an attack on two German tourists in Whakatane have appeared in the Whakatane District Court.
Three males, aged 14, 17 and 18 and a 15-year-old female were charged with aggravated robbery.
They were remanded in custody to reappear in court on New Year's Eve, police said. The identities of the group were suppressed.
Police were still looking for a fifth youth who was believed to have been involved in the incident.
The couple, a 19-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman - were attacked in their tent early yesterday morning.
The man lost teeth and suffered cuts and bruises, and the woman suffered facial and arm injuries, including fractures.
They remained in Whakatane Hospital overnight recovering from their injuries.
The pair were camping near a skatepark at the intersection of McAllister and Beach streets in Whakatane when they were woken.
They managed to escape their attackers and knocked at a nearby house for help. A member of the public who heard screams also contacted police. When officers arrived they found a group of people allegedly ransacking the tent.
They fled, but a police dog tracked them to a river, where two people were arrested, police said. Two others were arrested a short time later.
The Whakatane police station had received an "overwhelming" number of calls offering donations and accommodation for the couple, police said.
Police asked people to email messages of support to ebop.cib@police.govt.nz to free up the station telephone line.