Oranga Tamariki Staff on Trial for Alleged Assault of Teenagers at Youth Justice Facility

Seven Oranga Tamariki staff members are on trial in the Manukau District Court, accused of ill-treating or neglecting two teenagers at the Korowai Manaaki youth justice facility in Wiri, Auckland, on May 23, 2023. The charges stem from an incident where the teens barricaded themselves in a small phone room, leading to a confrontation with staff.

The Prosecution’s Case

Crown prosecutor Katie Karpik told the jury that the staff allegedly assaulted the 16- and 17-year-old boys after they refused to leave the two-by-1.5 meter phone booth for over an hour. The teens had reportedly been setting off sprinklers inside the room. Karpik stated that the boys, both with prior convictions for violence and a history of escaping custody, were outnumbered by the seven staff members who entered the booth. Witnesses later observed injuries, including black eyes, on the teens.

The prosecution argues that the injuries were the result of “gratuitous assaults” and not reasonable force. Karpik likewise highlighted that one of the defendants, Aidan Va, had a previous conviction for harming a boy at Korowai Manaaki approximately a month earlier, involving staging a fight between two boys and filming it. Va allegedly sent a text message to a friend after the incident, stating he had “f***ed up” two boys and it was “crack up.”

The investigation was initiated not by a complaint from the boys themselves, but by observations from other caseworkers who noticed their injuries. When questioned, the boys reportedly avoided “snitching” and offered explanations like falling off a chair.

The Defence’s Response

Defence lawyers emphasized that staff are legally entitled to use reasonable force to maintain safety within the youth justice facility. They argued that their clients were well-trained and employed known, safe restraint tactics. Lawyers for the defendants asserted that staff were responding to a rapidly escalating situation and had no choice but to enter the room.

Rasyad Ismail, representing Joseph Kirifi, stated his client was reacting to a fast-paced situation and that the boys had a history of serious violence, including escape attempts. Several lawyers pointed out that the prosecution lacks specific evidence to determine who inflicted any alleged assaults within the confined space of the booth.

Shannon Withers, defending one of the men with name suppression, characterized the Crown’s case as based on “inferences at best, guesses and speculation at worst.” Emma Priest, representing another defendant with name suppression, suggested the text messages presented by the prosecution should be viewed with caution, potentially representing “black humour” among friends.

Background on Korowai Manaaki

Korowai Manaaki, located in Wiri, Auckland, is a youth justice residence operated by Oranga Tamariki. In December 2023, eight youths came down from the roof of the facility after gaining access the previous evening [1News]. This followed a similar incident in October where thirteen youths climbed onto the roof, claiming they were denied access to fresh air and food [NZ Herald]. Oranga Tamariki disputed the claim that the youths were denied fresh air.

In a separate incident, youths were also held criminally liable for damaging the roof of an Oranga Tamariki facility [RNZ].

The trial is expected to last several weeks.