GUEST BLOG: Jackie Foster – YOUTH ABUSE SEEMINGLY IGNORED
This weeks news of inappropriate sexual behaviour within Oranga Tamariki Youth detention centres, although shocking, damming and a national disgrace, comes as no surprise.
Previously Oranga Tamariki has already handled 19 claims relating to abuse which were left to be investigated internally so the victims would not have to engage with another agency.
I find it disturbing the government department, that the claims were raised within, was left to investigate these allegations.
The Minister, Kelvin Davis, while he was in opposition, knew there were serious issues within Oranga Tamariki and five years later, more serious claims surfacing, and a commission of enquiry is still not completed.
Appointing ex Police Commissioner Mike Bush to head the investigation, highlights serious concerns as well. What needs to happen is an independent enquiry undertaken by a KC from Canada, Australia or the United Kingdom, someone who is truly independent and not linked to any of the so-called old boys’ clubs.
Here we have a government disposing of the Childrens Commissioner’s office when the commissioner is exactly the person that raised the alarm saying herself “youth detention centres are prison like and under resourced also highlighting sexual misconduct wasn’t the only concern she had about these facilities, also saying “in my view, you wouldn’t ever put a child in a place that looks like.”
I ask everyone “why are we still villainising our Tamariki and calling for them to be further institutionalised, criminalised, punished and now abused and sexually violated.
Jackie Foster
CEO
Social Justice Aotearoa
This is surely Labours shame .It is a story of cover up that will not go away .
Excellent – have been reading about another young woman in the Press today, the person carrying out the abuse got shifted sideways and is now that the young woman has left, back in the main part and denigrated her to others in unit as a ‘fat bitch’! Great just what these young people need to hear.
As you say Jackie, it simply beggars belief that these situations just keep on occurring.
One has to wonder if the removal of the children’s commissioner is not a way of the politicians hopefully removing the watchful eyes that Oranga Tamariki desperately need looking over it 24 hours a day.
As you say this situation was happening in the 60s and 70s and report after report was completed by the then CYFS organisation, which I believe is still CYFS carrying the Oranga Tamariki name.
Kelvin Davis is clueless and has done nothing to fix any problems of any of his portfolios since he became a minister.
It is concerning that we have such a minister overseeing the supposed correction of our children and also the supposed correction of our adult offenders and yet both departments are in total disarray and have been since he came to government but seemingly 5 and a half years later and two prime ministers he remains in charge.
in relation to your suggestion that all investigations should be run by someone that is not a New Zealand citizen, I applaud your tenacity and hopefully we will see you produce a petition concerning that very issue.
I find it troubling that any high level ex government employee is left to oversee any enquiry at all as we all know they all rub shoulders.
Thank you for the work you are doing and i do hope we see change in the near future.
The fact that this government axed the independent Commissioner for Children says it all really. Schools are now axing the open plan learning spaces which have disadvantaged many kids for years. Forty odd years ago parents successfully challenged the Waimairi, Christchurch, primary school rebuild as open plan. For our children’s sake, one can only hope that it doesn’t take as long for the Dept of Education to revisit the sexualisation of children with their genderID curriculum component.