Title: Special operation targets child abuse allegations

Wellington Police District has since December 2008 investigated more than 100 files resulting in 30 arrests during a special operation targeting a backlog of historic child physical and sexual abuse files in the district, primarily in Wairarapa Area.

Superintendent Gail Gibson, acting Wellington District Commander, said police would cooperate fully with the Independent Police Conduct Authority inquiry which was announced this afternoon.

"Investigations involving vulnerable child assault victims are complex, difficult and at times protracted," she said. "These and other factors including our file handling practices, high workloads and resource allocations have contributed to an unacceptable time delay dating back in some cases of several years."

Superintendent Gibson said police have moved swiftly to implement robust new systems and work practices to deal with child abuse investigations.

"We do prioritise investigations but the backlog we have experienced was unacceptable. We have taken steps to ensure the situation won't happen again.

"Timely investigations involving child abuse are a top priority for us.

"There has been a shortfall in the way some cases have been handled and for that we apologise. We have failed some child abuse victims, their families and the community. We've also let ourselves down in not providing the level of service we would have liked to meet our own and public expectations."

Superintendent Gibson said the backlog of 108 files in the Wairarapa was identified by police last year as part of planning for the new Wellington District Child Protection Team. This team is in the process of being established and will provide a specialist and coordinated approach to child abuse investigations throughout the Wellington Police District.

"It became clear to us in scoping file loadings and resources for the team that a backlog of files existed in parts of our district," she said. "The backlog was compounded by investigators being drawn off their day to day work to support other serious crime investigations, some of which included serious crimes including the deaths of children.

"The Wairarapa CIB has been no different to many others in that respect. These complaints, often involving distressing evidence and multiple instances of abuse, were not as thoroughly investigated as we would have liked.

"This is not an excuse, it has been the reality. We have moved quickly to implement changes in the way in which we allocate files; have undertaken an independent review; improved our processes and file supervision and also created the new Child Protection Team."

Employment investigations are also under way.

Superintendent Gibson said the Child Protection Team is headed by an experienced Detective Senior Sergeant and includes two Detective Sergeants and a file manager. It is planned that the team when fully operational later this year will have 10 specialist investigators/interviewers and be supported by an administration assistant.

The team, which will report to the Detective Inspector: Crime Services Manager at Wellington Police District HQ, will work alongside CYFS and health professionals.

Superintendent Gibson said there was no suggestion that Wairarapa police officers have not had the interests of their community at heart.

"We have talented, capable and dedicated police officers throughout the Wellington district, including Wairarapa. These people are totally committed to investigating complaints and providing a service to the public.

"We can't change what happened in the past but we can and have changed the way in which we investigate child abuse files in the future," she said.

Child abuse files will be regularly audited to ensure complaints are investigated, managed and resolved in a timely way.

"Child safety and wellbeing is important to us. The new team is going to help us provide a consistently high quality of service and investigation to child abuse complaints. We are determined to provide the best service possible for child abuse victims throughout the Wellington Police District."

ENDS

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