Boys’ home denies ill-treatment charge

Press, 11 April 1978, Page 6

Boys’ home denies ill-treatment charge

PA Auckland [ The Director of Social Wei- i fare in Auckland (Mr K. J.: Flint) yesterday denied that a boy, aged 13. was kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day for eight days in the Owairaka Boys’ Home. This and other allegations made by the boy and his parents, relating to the boy’s stay of 14 days in the home, were answered by Mr Flint at a press conference during which he referred to files and records of the home. The parents say that while they were on holiday in Janu-1 ary their son was arrested ail Kerikeri with his elder brother for allegedly being] drunk. The first indication they had that their sons were at Dwairaka was when they received a letter asking them to visit their sons. They found that the younger boy had spent 10 of these days in the “secure wing,” virtually alone. “I was disturbed to find my son in the security wing for tljaf length of time,” said the father. “But when we asked for an explanation nobody would take responsibility.” -The parents have written to the Ombudsman asking for a public inquiry, and the .Auckland Committee on Racism and Discrimination has written to the Minister of Social Welfare, demanding the suspension of the principal and staff of the home. •The parents say their son was 13 at the time, and should never have been at the/home, because the age limit there is 14. During the time he was in the secure wing, the boy complained of seeing another boy being beaten by a staff member for refusing to do physical exercise, they said. The only clothes their son

[was allowed towear were a T-shirt and shorts—no underIpants. socks, or shoes. All meals were in rhe cells, and, he mixed with the other boys * only during exercise sessions! three times a day. They said the boys were not allowed to talk. The boy, a State ward, was] released after 14 days when they threatened legal action,! they said. At bis press con ference. Mr I Flint confirmed that the bov] had spent 10 of the 14 days] in the secure unit, which] housed new arrivals at the; [home and youths who had a j record of running away from; home. ! In this unit, apart from, three daily exercise sessions' totalling an hour, the bovs! were able to mix in a recrea-| tion room where table tennis; and chess could be plaved.l he said. The doors of the cells were’ often left open and the boys' could sometimes sit outside; their doors in the yard. There; were also showings of feature: films. The parents of the bov! have asked why he was kept' at the home without a court, hearing on the drunkenness; charge. Mr Flint showed reporters] an entry made in the institu-i tion’s diary before the boyi' arrived with his brother. It; advised that the younger I brother might not be old enough for the home. Mr Flint said he believed the boy had told the staff that he was ' 14. i The brothers were taken to I the home by the police but.: the younger brother was dis- : charged when it became clear;; there would be no prosecu-li

tion, he said. The older brother was prosecuted. ; Mr Flint said the only incident or. record that week (which bore any resemblance Ito the "beating” described (was where a boy refused to 'obey instructions, became aggressive, and had to be rejstrained by three men. Answering allegations that (the boy was kept barefoot. Mr Flint said sandshoes were (provided for the exercise (period, although some nreIferred to run barefooted. If jthey wished, the boys could iwear sandshoes throughout the day but thev were taken away at night as some bovs :had used their sandshoes to break cell windows. The boy complained of be» ing forced to exercise after ; being treated for blisters. Mr ■Flint said if he had asked to !be excused because of the .blisters, the injuries would have been inspected, and he (would have been excused the i exercise session. ! Mr Flint said it was true, as the parents alleged, that ■during tne summer the bovs (did not usually wear underpants. They preferred not to .because of the heat, he said, 'but underpants were available on request. The parents said their son’s 'only reading in the unit was .comics, and that they were (refused permission to give him educational books. “It is too much trouble when parents send books.” Mr Flint said. “When they come to get them back thev are hard to find because the boy has handed them to his friends. Pages get marked and (ripped. A wide range of paperback novels are available, as well as the comics.”