Three inquiries are now underway into Oranga Tamariki's uplifts of children, with the Chief Ombudsman launching what he has promised will be a wide-ranging investigation.
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier has launched an independent investigation into Oranga Tamariki’s uplifts of children - the third inquiry now underway into the ministry's practices following a public outcry.
On Wednesday, Boshier told MPs he would carry out his own “wide-ranging and independent investigation into the steps Oranga Tamariki takes when newborn babies are removed”.
His inquiry follows a Newsroom investigation into the uplift of a newborn baby in Hawkes Bay, with video footage showing the 19-year-old mother’s midwife and family being barred from the hospital while Oranga Tamariki staff attempted to uplift the baby overnight.
Boshier told media he had decided to launch the inquiry following “justifiable concern” from the public in response to Newsroom’s investigation, and to address concerns about the limited nature of Oranga Tamariki’s own inquiry.
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