Photo: RNZSeven Oranga Tamariki workers are accused of bashing two teenagers - or failing to stop them being hit - in a tiny phone room at an Auckland youth justice facility. Prosecutors said the staff had gratuitously assaulted the boys after the teens had barricaded themselves in the two-by-1.5 metre room for more than an hour. The investigation that led to today's charges was not sparked by a complaint from the boys, but other case workers had noticed their injuries. Shannon Withers, defending one of the men with name suppression, said the Crown case was "inferences at best, guesses and speculation at worst." Emma Priest, for another with name suppression, noted the text messages the Crown was relying on for some of its case should be taken with a grain of salt.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 17, 2026 19:46 UTC