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A mother says she’s at her wits’ end over the lack of punishment for her car-thieving, ram-raiding teenage son, whose rehabilitation involves hours playing Monopoly at a social service centre.
The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, says her son has “gone off the deep end” since falling into the wrong crowd at 13.
The teen has stolen 38 cars and has committed 20 ram raids and robberies. Photo / Hayden Woodward
She says that in the past two years, he has stolen 38 cars and has committed 20 ram raids and robberies, and that he also has a serious drug habit, routinely using methamphetamine and marijuana.
But she claims any hope of reforming him is being met with a weak response by social services, who send him to a community-based centre where he spends his days playing Monopoly. She feels she has to stand by and watch as he ruins his life and becomes a hardened criminal.
“He’s stolen so many cars, he’s done so many ram raids and caused so much harm and he’s had no punishment," the mother said. Photo / Hayden Woodward
Determined to commit crimes, often to pay for his drug habit, he would jump from his two-storey bedroom window and steal a car with a friend so they could rob dairies and supermarkets.
She claims in one heist he stole more than $9000 worth of cigarettes and alcohol.
“We did everything we could, we isolated him [from the group] and pulled him out of that school,” she says.
He seemed to be improving for a year while being home-schooled, so she agreed to put him back in school at the beginning of last year. But he was soon pulled from school for a second time when he resumed stealing cars and participating in ram raids.
Finally, her son seemed to be returning to the happy, respectful boy she once knew.
Two weeks ago, however, he met up with an old friend. The despairing mum says already this year he has allegedly stolen six cars and committed at least two robberies.
She said her son has never been put into a youth justice facility. She claims he is made to undergo 30 hours at a youth justice rehabilitation programme for each crime and largely spends most of his days there playing Monopoly.
“He comes home and laughs about it because it’s not punishment,” she says.
When he is under her care, she claims he hits her and yells at her, and when he is not he resides at known gang pads and meth houses.
“My baby boy is headed to a life of drugs, crime, prison or worse, death, if the youth justice system doesn’t sort their s*** out,” the mum says.
“He’s a danger to himself and the public and something needs to be done before he ends up dead.”
Oranga Tamariki director for youth Justice system development Ben Hannifin says the programmes young people are sent to were “tailored” to best serve the needs of each individual.
“We ensure young people have access to the therapeutic support they need to address the underlying causes of offending, such as truancy, peer group, drugs and alcohol and family violence,” Hannifin says.
Police minister Mark Mitchell says the teen should be sent to the military boot camps that National campaigned on.
“The group that he’s hanging around with are involved in criminal activity, you put them into a secure location so they can’t harm the public anymore,” Mitchell said.
“And then they’re surrounded by the best mentors and role models that we can offer up as a country to start investing in them and put them in a situation where they can positively rejoin society rather than have a fast track into our adult justice system.”
Children’s Minister Karen Chhour says looking at an individual and catering to their needs is important.
“We campaigned on the fact that we need to make sure that they get the correct wraparound services once they are within a facility or even appearing before a judge, we can’t just give up on these young people.”
The centre the boy attended was approached by the Herald for comment.
Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.
