Consequences await young offenders in Auckland rooftop incident

Children’s Minister Karen Chur has confirmed the youth offenders involved in last night’s incident on the roof of the Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice Residence in Auckland will be held accountable for their actions.

At approximately 6.30pm, 13 youths entered the roof of the Oranga Tamariki property. The standoff continued until late morning, when the last two people came down from the roof.

“I have been assured by Oranga Tamariki that the young people have not made any demands and there have been no negotiations. This behavior is completely unacceptable and there will be consequences for their actions,” Chur said.

She praised the efforts of Oranga Tamariki staff, as well as the support from Police, Corrections, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and the New Zealand Ministry of Health for effectively handling the situation. None of the youths left the premises at any time and there was no threat to public safety.

Rooftop incidents and recent reforms

The incident marks the first confrontation on the roof of an Oranga Tamariki facility in 2024, in stark contrast to 15 similar incidents in 2023. Chhur highlighted that significant reforms had been made to youth justice residences since the publication of Oranga Tamariki’s independent external operational safety review. The residence of former Police Commissioner Mike Bush last September.

Reforms have focused on improving safety and security with measures such as “targeted reinforcement” to prevent roof access, strengthening infrastructure such as window frames, and more secure ceiling fittings. Improving staff recruitment, training and assessment processes has also been given priority to ensure better facilities management.

Preventing future incidents

Minister Chur noted that an assessment is already underway to determine how this latest incident occurred and to explore additional measures to prevent similar events in the future.

“The work we have done so far has improved the safety and security of these residences, but we are committed to doing even more to prevent similar incidents from happening again,” Chur added.

The Minister confirmed that while progress has been made, continued improvements are needed to ensure the safety of both young offenders and staff in youth justice residences.