Residents reeling from the horrendous gang rape of a teenager in western Sydney should not take the law into their own hands, a community leader has warned.
The call follows concerns about simmering racial tensions after a 14-year-old girl was attacked while walking home from a friend's house in Doonside.
Police say one man approached the girl, forced her to the ground and sexually assaulted her in Bill Colbourne Reserve at 11pm on Saturday.
The man's five friends then took turns sexually assaulting the girl in an attack spanning 30 minutes.
The male offenders have been described as aged in their late teens to early 20s and of African appearance.
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Responding to reported concerns about tensions between communities representative of the victim and alleged offenders - Pacific Islander and African - Blacktown City councillor Susai Benjamin said ethnic profiling did not contribute anything to the situation.
"In times of identification for finding these people, that's one thing," he told AAP.
"But making that a major issue in the community - it doesn't matter."
Otherwise, he added, "we are going to be another France, where there is such a tension between ethnic groups".
However, the former Australian Multicultural Advisory Council member acknowledged there were tensions in the community.
"There is anger out there," he said.
But Mr Benjamin urged the community not to let those tensions boil over.
"Taking law into their own hands and going and attacking people in a random fashion is not contributing to the harmonious community at all," he said.
Police are hunting for the men involved.
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
