Gloria ‘a delightful little girl’

Press, 2 July 1983, Page 1

Gloria ‘a delightful little girl’

PA Wellington Gloria Kong is a “delightful little girl, lively, friendly, very capable,” said the headmistress of Waitaki Girls’ High School, Mrs Joyce Mayhew, yesterday morning. When the police informed the staff of Gloria’s plight, Mrs Mayhew said, one of the things she noted was the look of horror on the teachers’ faces. Gloria’s classmates were not told about the kidnapping and only half the teaching staff were informed. This was on the advice of the C. 1.8. which was concerned for her life, Mrs Mayhew said. Mrs Mayhew said that although obviously everyone was "so relieved” that Gloria was now safe they had to wonder what effect the kidnapping had had on her. They could only hope she would recover with time. When the police talked to staff “they wanted to build a picture of what sort of person Gloria was.” Although members of the Chinese community tended to keep to themselves and make their own social life, Gloria was very interested in table tennis and volleyball. She was top of her social studies class, Mrs Mayhew said, and very good at typewriting.