New Zealand’s minister for children has condemned “very disturbing” footage of children at a youth justice facility holding a violent “MMA-style” fight while staff members looked on and filmed.
On Tuesday, television channel Newshub broadcast the footage of two children fighting at the state-run Oranga Tamariki [child protective services] facility in South Auckland. One of the boys is repeatedly punched, kicked, and knocked down until he is unable to stand, while those gathered around shout profanities and egg the boys on.
Oranga Tamariki deputy CEO Tusha Penny said in a radio interview on Wednesday that the footage had been filmed by a staff member. Another staff member in the footage appears to be ‘overseeing’ the fight. Penny said that the staff members’ actions were “totally unacceptable and there are no excuses for it”.
She told Newshub that “Four staff who work within the residence were removed from any duties and any interaction at all with young people or children in the care of Oranga Tamariki” after the fight took place.
Children’s minister Kelvin Davis said in an interview on Wednesday that the footage was “very disturbing” and the fact there were staff members in the room who watched without intervening was “totally unacceptable”.
“Any adult who witnessed the event has been stood down,” he said. “If there are adults there who did not intervene and did not say “this is wrong” then there’s no place for them, as far as I’m concerned, in a youth justice residence.”
New Zealand’s youth justice residences are supposed to care for, rehabilitate and give an education to children and teenagers that have been involved in crime. They have been in the spotlight in recent months after staff were stood down for allegations of “inappropriate sexual behaviour” toward the minors in their care, and after repeated attempts by children to escape from the facilities, at one point engaging in an overnight standoff with police from the roof of the facility.
Penny said Oranga Tamariki’s leadership acknowledged there were “issues throughout the residences. [As] to the depth of them? We are not sure at this stage.”
A police investigation into the fight incident is ongoing but no charges have yet been laid. The government is also conducting a review of the culture of youth justice facilities, led by former police commissioner Mike Bush.
