Four of eight youths who climbed onto the roof of an Auckland youth justice facility have come down overnight, Oranga Tamariki said in a statement this morning.
Police were notified at 5.50pm last night that eight youths had gained access to the roof of Korowai Manaaki in Wiri.
“Overnight and this morning four young people have come down, with four remaining on the roof,” said Oranga Tamariki acting deputy chief executive youth justice services and residential care Iain Chapman.
“Police continue to monitor the situation, and we can confirm there are no concerns for public safety and the young people are still within the facility.”
The group are on the roof of a facility on Kiwi Tamaki Rd in Wiri. (Source: 1News)
Chapman said many of the young people in these facilities had committed serious offences, motivated by a range of factors such as peer pressure, notoriety and adrenaline.
“It is likely they participate in serious incidents once in custody for similar reasons.”
An operational review would be undertaken to determine the circumstances that led to this incident, he added.
Thirteen youths climbed onto the roof of the same youth justice residence in October.
In a statement last night, Children’s Minister Karen Chhour said: “Thank you to all of the staff and teams who are working hard right now to keep everyone involved safe while this is being resolved”.
In a statement, Children’s Minister Karen Chhour told 1News, “As the situation is still developing, I am unable to comment at this time”.
