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Accusations of Abuse in Institutions

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NZ Herald
April 3, 2004

Police to quiz 50 boys over CYF abuse claim
by Louisa Cleave

Child Youth and Family caregivers have been accused of beating and abusing teenagers sent to live at a state-run home for boys.

Police are interviewing all 50 youths who were placed in care at Windrush Close, a six-bed home owned by CYF in Mangere, last year.

The Weekend Herald understands at least two families have laid formal complaints of assault.

One involves a then 14-year-old boy, who alleges he was assaulted and verbally abused in a room over four hours.

The boy, Anton Purvis, says a caregiver used a pair of pliers in the attack. Police have taken photographs of scars on his arms.

He has told police the male caregiver frequently picked out boys for beatings.

CYF said yesterday that it closed the home for a week late last year and removed the caregivers after receiving a complaint of abuse.

Ken Rand, the agency's acting director of operational support services, said the complaint was investigated internally, and then referred to police for a full investigation.

"Child Youth and Family takes any allegation of abuse very seriously and, as is usual practice, took immediate steps to investigate.

"After completing its own investigation, Child Youth and Family referred the matter to police."

The Weekend Herald understands the complaint which sparked the internal investigation came from a CYF worker's son who was living at Windrush Close.

Anton Purvis' father, Grant Harris, said the CYF worker contacted him last year and told him about an investigation.

"He said they had made statements and a complaint to police. He said the police were trying to get in touch with us."

Mr Harris said his son "just collapsed and burst into tears" when he asked him what had happened at the home.

The teenager, now 15, said he was assaulted in a room, and had heard the screams of other boys taken into the same room.

"He said boys were taken into the room every night. They were hit with something that looked like a cushion but was rock hard and didn't leave marks. They were thrown against walls."

Mr Harris said his son claimed the caregiver would come home and yell, "Who's it going to be tonight?". He was often drunk.

He blames his son's CYF case manager for the alleged final beating involving the pliers.

Mr Harris said his son had told him he was being hit at the home, but he thought Anton was talking about fights between the boys.

"I told him to ring his case manager and tell her."

The teenager telephoned his Otara-based case manager, and said she rang back and spoke to the caregivers.

Mr Harris said his son was called a "nark" and taken into the room.

"That night, my son was brutally dealt to."

Mr Harris said his son was sent to Windrush Close for five weeks after some minor brushes with police. He was living with his mother and started playing truant and getting into trouble.

"He didn't want to go to school and was starting to hang out with the wrong crowd."

The CYF worker who contacted Mr Harris told the Weekend Herald he was involved in the department's investigation and could not comment.

Neighbours of the house said yesterday they had not heard anything, but had seen boys climbing out of the window.

A CYF spokeswoman would not discuss the history of the caregivers, who were removed last year.

She said the department knew their personal history, and Windrush Close was their "first permanent appointment".

WINDRUSH CLOSE

The CYF "family home" in Windrush Close, Mangere, has been used as a short-term residence for troubled youth for 18 months.

The six-bed residence caters for adolescents with behavioural difficulties, but not all the young people sent there have been before the courts.

CYF describes Windrush Close as "transitional" accommodation while it works out a plan for the child.

That can involve permanent care, such as foster care, or a return to the original family.

The home had temporary caregivers appointed after the couple involved in the present allegations were removed. It has continued taking CYF referrals.