10. ANNE TOLLEY (National—East Coast) Link to this
to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)
Does she have confidence in Child, Youth and Family’s ability to supervise juvenile sex offenders; if so, why?
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)) Link to this
I have confidence in Child, Youth and Family’s approval process and selection procedure for the caregivers of the young people who are in the youth justice system, around 130 of whom are sex offenders. I am very disturbed that the young man who is the subject of public attention currently was able to breach the court-imposed conditions of his supervision order. The department is reviewing the situation to see why that occurred and what can be done to ensure that it does not happen again. I can assure the House that the caregivers involved are very aware of the fact that this situation was unacceptable.
Why did Child, Youth and Family not notify Napier police when it moved a convicted teenage sex offender into the district and placed him in a home next door to a vulnerable 5-year-old girl?
It was not a requirement of the court decision for anyone to be informed of that, but in my view—and, actually, in the agreed protocols between Child, Youth and Family and the police—that should have happened. When he was originally put into the community 1 year ago, the police were informed. The police were not informed when he was transferred. That was a breach of the protocols. I have told the department that that is not acceptable.
Russell Fairbrother Link to this
What are the key pieces of work that Child, Youth and Family is engaged in that support and rehabilitate young offenders in New Zealand?
A great deal of work is under way. It includes the implementation of the recommendations of the youth justice capability review, which strengthens Child, Youth and Family’s ability in this area; working with other agencies, particularly health and education agencies, at an early stage, such as through the health and education assessment programme; implementing a range of actions under the Youth Offending Strategy; working in partnership with both the police and Women’s Refuge with the new case management system; increasing the number of social workers, and, in particular, the number of registered social workers; and increasing the workforce training and capacity of the youth justice services generally.
Barbara StewartAre there other sex offenders under full-time supervision in communities that are also unaware of the danger to their children; if so, what is the Minister doing to ensure that the Napier situation is not repeated elsewhere around the country?
How did this sex offender, who has been convicted of four heinous crimes against young children and who is under 24-hour supervision, manage to get away from his three supervisors 14 times in 3 weeks, without any action being taken to remove this predator from the neighbourhood at risk?
It happened because the supervisor, who was paid and required to maintain him under 24/7 supervision, breached that condition of the contract between the supervisor and Child, Youth and Family. That is not acceptable. On the first occasion that the department was alerted to that, action was taken and the young man was removed.
Does the Minister realise that two of the supervisors charged with protecting the community from this man were in fact away getting Chinese takeaways when the 5-year-old’s mother discovered this sexual predator with his face pressed hard against the window, staring into her daughter’s playroom?
I certainly have read that report. I am also advised that the primary caregiver did advise the neighbour that this young man was not to leave the property and that he did have significant behavioural challenges, and asked that he be advised if he left. So I am surprised that it took as long as it did for any action to be taken. That does not justify any of the caregivers breaching the requirements of their contract.
Chris TremainIs the Minister aware that the person responsible for the supervision of this juvenile sex offender had previously departed under a cloud from Kauri Trust Youth Services in Auckland, a trust responsible for high-risk residential clients, and was this information considered when making the appointment for the Napier contract?
No, actually, and having heard the member’s reported comments, I am not sure whether anything at all that that member says in relation to this case is accurate. I am confident about both the approval and the selection procedures that Child, Youth and Family undertakes when contracting with caregivers of this kind.
Has the juvenile sex offender in question been relocated in Napier with the same supervisor; if so, what assurances can the Minister give to the Napier mother of the five-year-old girl and the parents of other Napier children that their children are safe from this predator?