By TeKāhu

The Ruakākā murders of two young children have shocked the Northland region and the entire nation.

Confidential sources close to the family have provided The Daily Examiner with shocking allegations regarding the final hours preceding and proceeding the murders of the children.

These are:

• That the mother had contacted mental health services regarding a psychosis episode. If there is a potential for violence to self or others, the request must be forwarded to the police for attendance. According to sources, police did not attend immediately.
• That police have been saturated with requests for mental health intervention callouts.

The fact that Oranga Tamariki, the NZ Police and mental health were involved, yet with the final outcome being the murders of two children, is simply gut wrenching.

New Zealanders have understood for many years just how broken our Government Departments are. The heartbreaking deaths of these two children have highlighted the failure of these Government departments yet again.

The cost?

The lives of our precious, innocent babies.

Oranga Tamariki has failed. Again.

There are multiple Facebook posts by family members and friends commenting about the mother and her murdered children. The posts are understandably emotional and family members are expressing their anger and disgust at the agencies involved with the family, that ultimately failed them.

There are reports of drug-induced psychosis, the murdered children’s mother reaching out for help, the failure of the ‘system’, and much more.

It is clear from these Facebook posts that there were many people who knew that the mother of the murdered children had extreme mental health issues and addiction issues. They all thought that it was the job of Oranga Tamariki to ensure the safety and wellbeing of these children, considering their involvement within the family.

The Daily Examiner has spoken with multiple community members from Kaipara and Bream Bay, and the following concerns have been vehemently expressed:

• New Zealand Police has failed. Again.

Why was this mother who reached out for help not supported? Why did the Police not attend the cry for help? Why did Police not correspond with Mental Health and Oranga Tamariki to get the ‘full picture’?

Their utter failings have come at the cost of the lives and futures of two vulnerable, innocent children.

• Mental Health has failed. Again.

Where was the Crisis Team, the collaboration with Police and Oranga Tamariki, the follow up that may well have resulted in two children’s lives being saved?

• Most of all, the Government has failed. Again.

The Government that does not understand what is happening on the frontline. The Government that does so little about the fact that NZ Police can barely deal with crime, because they deal with so many mental health callouts. The Government that does so little about Mental Health not having facilities, staff or resources to cope with the ever increasing mental health issues plaguing our country.

Ultimately, the Government’s failures have resulted in yet more children being murdered.

The murder of the two innocent children in Ruakākā does not only lie with the murderer, but also with the multiple Government agencies that failed both her and her precious children. Again.

The mother will be processed and trialed through the NZ Courts.

There will be handwringing and political point-scoring by status quo politicians.

What accountability, if any, will departments such as Mental Health, NZ Police and Oranga Tamariki face?

Not since the horrific murder of the Kahui twins has New Zealand seen a double child homicide.

Unacceptable statistics:

New Zealand Child Abuse Statistics

On average, 1 child dies every 5 weeks in New Zealand.

Statistics Review (As at March 2021)

• NZ ranks at 35th out of 41 developed countries for child wellbeing outcomes (UNICEF Innocenti Report)
• A child dies every 5 weeks in NZ as a result of family violence (UNICEF Innocenti Report)

Salvation Army State of The Nation (Released 17 February 2021)

Recorded violent offences against children aged under 15 years as at the year ended 30 June 2020:

• 887 cases of common assault
• 3,077 cases of serious assault without injury
• 1,846 cases of serious assault resulting in injury
• 1,488 cases of aggravated sexual assault

Sexual abuse trends (Released 19 January 2021)

• One in six New Zealand women experience sexual violence from an intimate partner during their lifetime
• Child sexual abuse rates: 1 in 5
• Non-partner sexual assault: 1 in 14

Oranga Tamariki Care and Protection statistics (year ended 31 December 2020)

• 78,900 Reports of Concern made
• 41,300 assessments or investigations carried out
• 8,200 Family Group Conferences held

The Homicide Report (Released 13 May 2019)

• Every 8th homicide victim in New Zealand from 2004 to 31 March 2019 was a child
• More than two thirds of the victims were aged 2 or under
• Of the cases where the killer’s relationship to the victim was known, 27% were mothers, 24% were fathers, and 17% were de facto partners.

UNICEF Report (Released 15 June 2017)

• New Zealand has the highest rate of teen suicide in the OECD
• New Zealand has the 6th highest teen pregnancy rate in the OECD
• New Zealand has the 7th highest rate of child homicide in the OECD.

There were 67,400 reports of concern, leading to 36,400 assessments or investigations, made to Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children in the 12 months to 31 December 2022 (Oranga Tamariki, 2023).

The Daily Examiner is keeping up to date with the situation and will update as possible.