This article was first published by RNZ.
The Children’s Minister is accusing the Greens of spreading “misinformation” over the death of a teenager who had been a participant in the Coalition’s boot camp.
But the Green Party is standing by the social media post, shared by Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul.
On Friday, Paul shared a post on Instagram by state care abuse survivor Tu Chapman that read “Another young life lost to this world. Waking to the news that a rangatahi has died in the newly established boot camps set up by this abusive government.
“I hope this weighs heavily on the minds of the decision makers.”
The teenager, who died in a crash in Tirau last week, had transitioned to the community phase of the boot camp programme that is overseen by Oranga Tamariki, after leaving the care of the justice facility in October.
In an accompanying caption Paul wrote, “Awakening to Tu Chapman’s kupu above and feeling the heaviness of it all. This morning, I’m thinking of the young person whose life was lost far too soon.
“I’m praying for their whānau and all of those who love and care about this young person. I’m grieving for the life they could have lived, the potential that was always inside of them.
“We owed you better, you deserved so much better, I am sorry that we all let you down. I promise to keep fighting for the opportunities that you and our rangatahi all deserve.”
After RNZ contacted the Greens for a comment about the suggestion the teenager had been at the boot camp at the time of his death, Paul updated her post, saying, “Just wanted to acknowledge the comments and respond by saying that rather than making my own statements in relation to the incident, I chose to amplify the voice of Tu Chapman.
“It is not mine, or our, place to police the way she has expressed her mamae for this tragic loss. I fully respect Tū, she is a rangatira for ngā morehu and will continue to amplify her kōrero. Ngā mihi. Arohanui.”
In a statement to RNZ Paul said, “I chose to amplify the voice of Tū Chapman, tētahi o ngā mōrehu (a survivor) of abuse in state care, following the tragic news of a young person in the boot camp pilot passing away as a result of a car accident.”
Karen Chhour, the minister in charge of the boot camp programme, told RNZ, “it’s extremely disappointing that the Greens have chosen to politicise, and spread misinformation about, the tragic death of a young person”.
“This tragic accident is bigger than politics and Tamatha Paul should be ashamed of herself.
“I attended the young man’s funeral this week to show my support for his family. My heart goes out to them and I am heartbroken for them.
“This young man had just started to turn his life around, and from the stories I have heard, he was proud of what he was achieving,” Chhour said.
The teenager’s death was first reported by media on Thursday night and on Friday morning Oranga Tamariki senior staff were before the social services select committee at Parliament at a pre-arranged scrutiny week hearing.
Deputy chief executive Tusha Penny confirmed the teenager had died, and two other boot camp participants had since absconded from the community phase of the programme.
A young person who absconded from the tangi was on bail at the time, which meant two Oranga Tamariki staff accompanied him to the funeral where he made his escape amongst 150 mourners.
The second young person who has absconded was living with whānau, and took off the day after the tangi.
Oranga Tamariki has launched a review into the escape from the tangi, given the teenager was under the supervision of staff.
“We take this seriously and know it’s not ideal, so immediately we’ve started a review to look at the circumstances leading up to that and learn from any failings we may have,” Penny told reporters after her appearance at select committee.
By Jo Moir of RNZ.
