Second Oranga Tamariki sexual misconduct allegation discovered ...

Allegations of “inappropriate sexual behaviour” have surfaced against two staff members of Oranga Tamariki and former police commissioner Mike Bush will take over management of its youth residences.

The two staff members acted independently, Oranga Tamariki chief executive Chappie Te Kani said, and were alleged to have offended against five children.

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The incidents occurred at two separate facilities. The first was reported to Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis on June 8, he said. The second was discovered when the Children’s Commission sent an inspector to another facility last week.

Children’s Commissioner Judge Frances Eivers​ said her staff arrived to carry out an unannounced inspection of a facility, which she described as “prison like” and under resourced.

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At the facility, she said an Oranga Tamariki staffer raised concerns with her inspector about a colleague’s behaviour.

“The incidents that are being investigated are relatively serious,” she said.

Both Eivers​ and Te Kani said they were limited in what they could say about the incidents, as the police were investigating.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Oranga Tamariki Chief Executive Chappie Te Kani (right) says two staff members are facing allegations of serious sexual misconduct towards children.

Eivers​ said she believed the Oranga Tamariki staffer had chosen to speak out to the Commission, as they wanted to flag concerns with an external, neutral, monitor.

She said the sexual misconduct allegation wasn’t the only concern she had about these facilities. These residences were based off an old tradition of child detention, she said, and were a prison-like environment that caused issues for staff and children.

“It does come down to resource, good management and good leadership ... and putting the child at the centre of every decision that's made. So if you do that, in my view, you wouldn't even put a child in a place that looks like and is a prison.”

Chris McKeen/Stuff

Children’s Commissioner Judge Frances Eivers says there are systemic issues with youth justice facilities.

Te Kani said the two staff members had been taken out of youth residences.

He said the incidents happened over the past year, and described the allegations as “inappropriate sexual behaviour” involving staff members “acting inappropriately towards young people in Oranga Tamariki residences”.

Bush would undertake a review across all the Oranga Tamariki residences to find out if other staff were involved or if there was a wider problem, Te Kani said.

“We need to do the work to ensure all the young people across our residences are safe,” he said.

External staff would work with Bush to investigate the ministry, before he would take on the role of implementing any reforms needed across its youth residences.

Shannon Pakura, former Oranga Tamariki chief social worker, would work with Bush to investigate the allegations, the ministry’s response, and any other child safety concerns.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Children’s Minister Kelvin Davis has responded to reports of sexual misconduct at Oranga Tamariki facilities.

Davis said he trusted Bush and Te Kani could handle the situation. He said he wanted a national review of residential facilities after hearing about a second sexual misconduct allegation on Friday.

“I heard about the second instance, and we went, ‘Well, we can't have this. Is this a [bigger] problem?’ That’s why there has been swift action,” he said.

“Mike will get to the bottom of the extent of the issues and the residences, but there has been change in Oranga Tamariki over the last 2½ years. That is for certain, but the residences are an issue of their own.”

ACT Party child welfare spokesperson Karen Chhour said Oranga Tamariki must be held to account for retraumatising children.

“How can we call them ‘care and protection facilities’ when we're not protecting these kids,” she asked. ”They've been traumatised most of their life, probably ... and we're traumatising them all over again.”

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Former Police Commissioner Mike Bush (left) will review safety of children at Oranga Tamariki residences, and the allegations of sexual misconduct from staff.

Oranga Tamariki has faced a series of issues in recent years. It faced protests over its policies of child uplifts, including taking babies from mothers while they were still in maternity wards.

And more recently, the child welfare ministry has been called to respond to a spike in youth crime. In September, Oranga Tamariki officials told Parliament its youth justice facilities were full.

Shaun Brown, an associate deputy chief executive of Oranga Tamariki, said the ministry was struggling with the number of children currently in its justice residences. He said over crowding in the facilities had led to children connecting with each other, and orchestrating crime to commit after their release.

Where to get help:

Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00, click link for local helplines.

Victim Support 0800 842 846.

Safetalk text 4334, phone 0800 044 334 webchat safetotalk.nz or email [email protected].

The Harbour Online support and information for people affected by sexual abuse.

Women’s Refuge 0800 733 843

Male Survivors Aotearoa Helplines across NZ, click to find out more (males only).

Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email [email protected], or find online chat and other support options here.