February 02, 2020
Oranga Tamariki review details inhumane agency
The Māori-led inquiry into Oranga Tamariki has uncovered a litany of harrowing and disturbing cases, including one where 14 armed police were sent to uplift a five-month-old Māori baby from its mother.
The Family Court had approved the uplift order with no prior notification to the whānau.
The report says the mother remains traumatised by the uplift, which also included the presence of police dogs.
A thousand Māori and non-Māori shared their stories with the inquiry of harrowing and inhumane dealings with the government agency.
Dame Naida Glavish, who chaired the governance group overseeing the Māori review, says the report confirms systemic failure, discrimination and inexplicable breaches of human rights towards Māori.
The inquiry is calling for a complete overhaul of Oranga Tamariki, the Family Court ex-parte order process and the law that facilitates uplifts.
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