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October 22, 2025 4 mins

More children are being harmed in Oranga Tamariki's care. 

The agency's annual report reveals 530 children in care experienced harm in the year ending in March - 23 more than the previous 12 months. 

There were more findings of emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect in this period - but an eight percent reduction in findings of physical harm.

Instances of harm in secure residences fell for the first time - something the Children's Minister is celebrating. 

Karen Chhour told Ryan Bridge she's pleased by the 14 percent drop - as it shows recent system changes are yielding results. 

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Children's Commissioner and Independent Children's Monitor calling out Karen Chaw
for cherry picking stats this morning they reckon the abuse
in state care is getting worse, and the Minister put
out a press release saying recorded harm was going down
a fourteen percent reduction and recorded harm across the cure
residences since twenty twenty four. Ordering a Tamainiki's annual report

(00:20):
says five hundred and thirty children in care experienced harm
in the year to March twenty three, more than the
previous year.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
So what gives Karen Chaws with me now, Minister, good morning.

Speaker 3 (00:30):
Good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Are you cherry picking here? What's going on?

Speaker 3 (00:35):
So the harm that you're speaking to around that could
be anything so low level, high level. The harm that
I'm talking about in the decrease in residences is serious
harm where a child or young person has an injury
that is serious. So there's been a massive reduction in

(00:59):
harm and retil and it's the first time ever we're
seeing no reduction and harm and residence in New Zealan.
And this is really important to me because I actually
set this as a real priority when I first came
into Parliament because children deserve to be safe no matter
where they live and within a residence. These young people

(01:19):
deserve to have the best protection they possibly can and
be able to have a chance to turn their lives around.
And they're not going to do that if they're not
feeling safe where they live. So what I announced yesterday
is around a program that we have put in place
to make sure that our staff have better training, better oversight,
We have better recruitment and strengthened leadership to make sure

(01:43):
that these kids are safe. I understand where where the
Children's Commissioner is coming from. Any harm is not okay,
and we have to make sure that we're clearly focused
on that.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Minister. What is serious harm or what's minor harm that
we shouldn't be worried about that's been going up.

Speaker 3 (02:03):
I guess it's recordings like within the MSA when we
had two recordings of harm and one with a cut
finger and one with some burn sometimes.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
So's we're not talking here about physical abuse, you know,
either caregiver on young person abuse or a young person
on young person abuse. It could be anything tripping and falling,
stubbing a toe.

Speaker 3 (02:30):
This fourteen percent reduction of finding of harm is based
on it could be physical abuse where a child this
is what I'm speaking to today, is physical abuse where
a child or a young person has injury or it
was at risk of injury. Sexual abuse or including exposure
to sexual activity and sexual imagery and grooming behaviors. Neglect

(02:51):
where the basic needs of a child a young person
has not been met. Emotional abuse with mental health and
social or emotional functioning and development. So Master, what I
would also say, what's the number?

Speaker 2 (03:02):
What's the number? So the five hundreds, because this is
what they're coming at you with, right, So that the
five hundred and thirty children here who experienced harm in
the last year, up from five hundred and seven the
year before.

Speaker 3 (03:14):
So the number I'm reporting to is in twenty twenty
four to twenty twenty five, there was around one hundred
and ninety five findings of harm and for one hundred
and for one hundred and fifteen children and young people
in residential placement. In the previous year there were two
hundred and twenty eight findings of harm for one hundred

(03:34):
and eighteen children. What I would also say is eighty
three percent of the harm experience that was caused by
other children in placement and twelve percent was by staff,
so we're really breaking this down so we've got a
good understanding of.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
What's happening, Minister, Given that most of the harm is
between the young people, do you need to separate them
out of it more.

Speaker 3 (03:57):
This is why we've put legislation changed through Parliament even
recently in response to not only needing the necessity of
making sure young people are safe, but in response to
the Abuse and Care inquiry where residences. We're a big
part of the story that was told from survivors in care,

(04:21):
so we need to make sure that we're keeping these
young people safe. Some of the routines we've done more
staff is that they have clear bags now when they're
coming within residents, so we can see what they're bringing
into residents, and contraband is lower.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
So it sounds like you're making moves on all the
right places, Minister, but obviously some disagreement about exactly how
safe the young people there are.

Speaker 1 (04:42):
Karen, appreciate your time this one and Karen Shaw Children's Minister.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
For more from earlier edition with Ryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (04:48):
Listen live to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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