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A mother whose son was one of the youths who got on to the roof of a state care secure facility - and was later lured down by offers of KFC - says the only thing Oranga Tamariki has taught her wayward boy is how to become a good ram-raider.
She said the boy who once loved school and was a leader at kapa haka has turned into a youth she doesn’t recognise in the three years he has been in state care.
The woman said he was part of the group who climbed on to the roof of the Korowai Manaaki youth justice facility in Wiri, Auckland, in July.
The woman, who the Herald has agreed not to name, said her son is now 15.
“My son is no angel, but since he has been in the care of the state, he has changed and the young boy who loved kapa haka and was respectful has been replaced with an angry young man,” the mother said.
“I taught him to respect your elders but if his elders don’t respect him, then that’s when he will retaliate.
“He has escaped from OT and been caught ram-raiding, so back he goes. But he’s my son, and I want him back home.
“The only thing he learned from his time in OT is how to be a better ram-raider.”
A spokesperson from the state child welfare agency said they could not discuss the youth’s situation or allegations from his mum that he had mastered his criminal behaviour while in their care.
Their response doesn’t wash with the mum, who says her son used to be a good kid.
“He would get up early before school and make his own lunch,” she said.
“But when he hit intermediate school, things changed and he started hanging out with a new group of friends and staying out.”
The mum said that to keep her son safe she said he could invite his mates over.
“I counted 20 of them one time and then he started wagging school and turned angry. He started cleaning windows at lights for money and the cops would pick him up and bring him home.”
Eventually, as his youth offending got more serious, the 12-year-old was taken into Oranga Tamariki care.
In one incident where he and another youth escaped, the mum said her son was a passenger in a stolen car that crashed. He suffered serious injuries.
The boy needed staples in his head after being injured in a car crash.
“It was touch and go there for a while but he has made a remarkable recovery.”
She said all she wants is some answers as to why her son cannot come home.
“It’s been three years and we miss him.”
A community advocate and a lawyer are trying to help the mother with her son.
“I think this is a very important story,” said the advocate, who has helped dozens of whānau deal with OT.
“So much blame was placed on parents after the ram raids by others with no idea and no thought ever given to the whānau and the fact they had not been able to be part of this boy’s life.
“Plus by the time young men are given back to whānau, many are too broken by a system that was supposed to protect him.”
Joseph Los’e joined NZME in 2022 as Kaupapa Māori Editor. Los’e was a chief reporter, news director at the Sunday News newspaper covering crime, justice and sport. He was also editor of the NZ Truth and before joining NZME worked for 12 years for Te Whānau o Waipareira.
