Praneet Singh, a resident of Papatoetoe, was on her usual evening walk when an unknown assailant attacked her from behind.
A couple in the neighbourhood refused to help as she ran into their driveway. They continued to wash their car without any sympathy.
She was brutally beaten, and her calls for help went unanswered.
"Someone save me. That's the only thing I could think of was someone save me. I'm getting beaten up and I've got an audience. That's what it felt like," said Praneet on speaking to One News.
The apathy was the most startling outcome in this incident. Some may even question the underlying attitude as abetting in the crime.
Justice Minister Judith Collins said there are protections in place for people who intervene in situations such as these.
"Under the Crimes Act, a person is justified in using reasonable force to defend themselves or another person," Ms Collins said.
Even the most common place of things like making a call to the police or an emergency helpline is an act of deterrence which people should do.
Ms Singh appealed to the emotional and logical bent of the people witnessing such attacks asking them to question themselves as to how they would feel if something like this happened to their kin.