Five young people spent the night on the roof and within its cavity at youth justice facility Korowai Manaaki in Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton
Five young people spent the night on the roof and within its cavity at youth justice facility Korowai Manaaki in Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton
Five people remain on the roof of an Auckland youth justice facility as top negotiators attempt to talk them down through stolen phones and radios.
The group remained on the roof at the 40-bed Korowai Manaaki in the South Auckland suburb of Wiri this afternoon. They forced their way out of a unit yesterday.
Temperatures dropped to around 11C overnight and there was also heavy rain in the area during their stay on the roof.
In an update this evening, Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive Mike Bush said it is the same five young people as last night.
Bush said the young people are being communicated to via phone and radio by Auckland’s top negotiators. Both the phone and radio were stolen by the five youths when the incident began.
“We must remember that these are not adults, they are young people, and while the situation is not ideal, their safety is our top priority,” Bush said.
Five young people spent the night on the roof and within its cavity at youth justice facility Korowai Manaaki in Auckland. Photo / Alex Burton
He confirmed they have been fed, have water and are warm enough. Bush also said their families have been contacted.
“While this situation is contained and there is no danger to the public, I acknowledge that it is still very much ongoing. We are all hopeful that we can update with a safe resolution soon,” Bush said.
The group, which increased to eight people at one point but numbered at six as of 9pm last night and now numbers at five, were all within the boundary of the facility, Bush said.
The incident follows another - which was resolved with the help of a feed of KFC - involving five youths at Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo youth justice facility near Christchurch last Saturday.
A staff member received a broken wrist and four young people spent the night in Te Puna Wai ō Tuhinapo’s roof cavity last Saturday.
The fifth youths who also escaped to the roof came down in the evening.
The remaining four were brought down by ladder on Sunday morning, 24 hours after the incident began, and put in police custody.
However, Oranga Tamariki was criticised when it was revealed that after the stand-off came to an end, the youths were given KFC, Stuff reported.
Those involved were “vulnerable young people” and the first approach was always to use the least harmful ways to convince them to come down safely on their own terms, Bush told Newshub.
