CYF to probe Otis death

Child, Youth and Family will investigate claims that its staff failed to act on information that a 13-year-old was missing on one of its camps in Northland.

Otis Auelua drowned on a CYF-approved camp after falling from a cliff at Matauri Bay in December.

The South Auckland teenager disappeared on December 9 but Pacific World, the Government-funded agency running the camp, did not report him missing until four days later. Yesterday, it was reported that the agency did contact CYF earlier.

Pacific World manager Harold Soe told the Sunday News that CYF was equally to blame because it was contacted two days after Otis disappeared, but the department had yet to take accountability for that.

The paper said CYF would not comment on the circumstances surrounding Otis' death as it was still before the coroner's court.

But last night a CYF spokeswoman told the Herald that the department had not previously been aware of the claims.

"That's the first time that those allegations have been raised and we will be looking into them."

In light of the allegations, Opposition MPs have criticised CYF's level of care for children and called for CYF minister Ruth Dyson to quit.

National Party welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins said the country expected more from CYF, which seemed to be "lurching from one crisis to the next".

Ms Dyson's press secretary said the minister "has asked the department for an investigation and a response".

That investigation was expected to start today.

CYF stopped referring children to the camp after Otis died, saying Pacific World had breached protocols by not immediately reporting the disappearance.