A group of youths got on to the roof of the Wiri youth justice facility on Monday evening. All were down again by noon on Tuesday. Photo / Carson Bluck
“There is no pathway forward if a society chooses to exact violence and revenge on our most vulnerable.”
Youth advocates are pleading with the community to think of the root causes of youth crime – after a group of young offenders climbed atop a youth justice facility in South Auckland on Monday night.
The 13 youths reportedly demanded fast food, cigarettes, and a getaway car – and authorities have said they would be held criminally accountable for the damage they caused.
The group reached the top of the Korowai Manaaki facility in Wiri just after 6.30pm. By 9am the next day, only four remained. The remaining two came down just before 11am.
Minister for Children Karen Chour has since reassured the public that the young offenders will face consequences for their actions.
“Work has already begun on assessing how this incident was able to happen and what else can be done to prevent them in future,” she said.
Oranga Tamariki will be conducting a full incident debrief and a national practice review will also be initiated. The agency is currently assessing how much damage the group caused.
It’s reminiscent of an incident at the same facility last year – when groups of young people climbed up on the roof. The 30-hour standoff ended when Oranga Tamariki staff agreed to get them burgers and fried chicken.
A month later, a trio of teens did it again – and in June, another group staged a rooftop standoff at a facility near Christchurch.
When a few were still atop the facility – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon pulled no punches, saying authorities would not cave to their demands.
“No, they’re not coming down for KFC,” Luxon said, “These are some of our most serious and hardcore young offenders.”
Youth worker and founder of Kick Back, a youth development advocacy group, Aaron Hendry told The Front Page they were the kinds of kids who have experienced some of the worst that New Zealand society has to offer.
“Often they were victims first before they’ve gone on to cause harm in the community. They’ve been physically harmed, mentally, emotionally. They have been let down by us as a community. Often they would have experienced poverty and homelessness.
“Some will have disabilities, severe mental health needs, and will have experienced some significant trauma,
Hendry said it was important to understand where these youths have come from before figuring out the best way to deal with them.
“The other thing we know about young people that end up in these facilities is that often the community was aware that they needed help. They were aware that their families needed help. As a community, we haven’t had the resources to support them and care for them long before they ever came into conflict with the law and ended up in the justice system.
“As a society and as a country, we have not valued the lives of these young people well enough.
“I’ve sat with young people who have done some really, really harmful things. They’ve hurt people, and they have wept moments after that has happened, and shared: ‘Why did I do that?’
“I have real empathy for those who have been harmed by a young person. If it’s a business owner or if it’s someone who’s suffered in some way. That harm is real. What they’ve gone through and the trauma they’ve experienced is also real.
“But, to prevent that from continuing, preventing that cycle of violence, we’ve got to remember where it starts,” Hendry said.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about the types of teens in these youth justice facilities and what we might be able to do to help turn their lives around.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Officers were photographed helping to paint protest signs.