Oranga Tamariki confirms staff were present for 'walking the line' assault
Oranga Tamariki has confirmed staff were in the unit when a young person was assaulted by his peers as he left Korowai Manaaki youth justice residence in March.
The assault is known as 'walking the line'. According to official documents, young people stand on either side of the internal door of the main entrance to farewell a young person being discharged. In this case, the young person was slapped and hit as he was discharged. Three young people stood on one side of the line and two on the other. He stood at the top of the line. He appeared nervous and was hesitant to walk towards the door.
The agency gave the confirmation to RNZ on 14 September RNZ. Oranga Tamariki told RNZ that "at the time of the incident, kaimahi were present in the unit with the rangatahi." Kaimahi is the term for staff, and rangatahi for young people. Official documents also confirmed the assault took place. RNZ had first reported the ritual attack in August RNZ.
The incident was referred to police. An employment investigation was started. Police have since closed their investigation with no charges and no further action. Police advised Oranga Tamariki they found no evidence of criminal offending by either the rangatahi or the kaimahi. In mid-August, the agency said the employment process was still underway.
Youth Justice Services and Residential Care deputy chief executive Dean Winter said "staff action or inaction in the case is being addressed appropriately." The agency said it has taken steps with Korowai Manaaki kaimahi to reinforce expectations for incident reporting.
Korowai Manaaki is in South Auckland. The 2023 Briefing to the Incoming Minister for Children put total staff at the residence at 97 Oranga Tamariki. A separate regulatory assessment recorded 19 items seized at Korowai Manaaki in February 2024 Oranga Tamariki.
The broader context here is the difference between two tests. Police have ruled out criminal offending. The employment process has not finished. That keeps the focus on supervision in the unit, on what staff were expected to do when they were present, and on whether incident reporting worked as intended.
