INDEPENDENT NEWS

Minister Must Release Inquiry Into Child Killer

Published: Mon 26 Aug 2002 11:02 AM
Minister Must Release Inquiry Into Child Killer
Monday 26 Aug 2002
ACT New Zealand Welfare Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman today called on the Minister in charge of the Department of Child Youth and Family to release details of the inquiry into the department's handling of the case of Bailey Junior Kurariki, the boy convicted of the manslaughter of Michael Choy.
"The department has been involved with this boy since he was nine years old. He was in the department's care when the murder occurred. For the department to claim that an internal inquiry has exonerated them on the basis that he was 'such a major handful' is not only outrageous but also totally unacceptable.
"It is the role of the department to deal with difficult children. Their job is to keep the kids safe and to keep society safe. If they washed their hands of this young boy as they seem to be claiming then they have failed the boy, Michael Choy and society at large.
"In light of the fact that the department was responsible for the boy at the time of the murder and that police are claiming CYF's failure contributed to the murder of Michael Choy, it would appear impossible for a proper inquiry to exonerate the department.
"I am writing to the Minister to ask that he urgently release the details of the inquiry to the public so that people can judge for themselves whether there has been a departmental cover-up over this case", Dr Newman said.
Ends

Next in New Zealand politics

Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
By: New Zealand Government
Parliamentary Network Breached By The PRC
By: New Zealand Government
GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan
By: New Zealand Government
Tax Cuts Now Even More Irresponsible
By: New Zealand Labour Party
New Zealand Provides Further Humanitarian Support To Gaza And The West Bank
By: New Zealand Government
High Court Judge Appointed
By: New Zealand Government
View as: DESKTOP | MOBILE © Scoop Media