Concern for Safety of Two Children in CYF Care

ACT MP Deborah Coddington has grave fears for the safety of the two children Child, Youth and Family want to place with a convicted sex offender.

"The Minister of Social Services and Employment Steve Maharey has failed to deny Child, Youth and Family are knowingly advocating these children be placed with a man listed in the 1996 Paedophile and Sex Offender Index who is not their father. I have the CYF Care Plan for the two children which states the "goal" is to place them with the sex offender. I have documents showing CYF was first informed of this man's criminal record in 1999.

"I am very concerned that CYF still thinks it is okay to send these vulnerable children into an unsafe environment. Mr Maharey has not done anything to reduce this risk.

"I think the majority of New Zealanders are as horrified as I am to discover that Government agencies have no adequate processes to avoid placing vulnerable children with convicted sex offenders such as Jules Mikus.

"I am appalled by the attempt by Mr Maharey and his lapdogs at the Public Service Association to draw attention away from CYF's failure and the future wellbeing of these children. Both Mr Maharey and PSA national secretary Richard Wagstaff accuse me of not having "all the facts" of this case, yet neither can cite a single fact I have wrong.

"I will not back down from my promise to name the social workers who knowingly hand children to predators. I refuse to join Mr Maharey and the PSA in protecting the bureaucrats who consciously put these vulnerable children at great risk. I reiterate my pledge to bring similar cases to the attention of parliament when, as in this situation, I have no other choice. I do not believe I have breached parliamentary privilege. If Mr Maharey believes I have done so, I urge him to take the appropriate steps to censure me.

"Mr Maharey promised parliament a week ago that there was no need for any investigation of CYF because no children were being knowingly placed with paedophiles.

"I repeat the call of my colleague Dr Muriel Newman to set up an independent inquiry, and I urge Mr Maharey to support my legislation to create a central register of paedophiles and sex offenders," Miss Coddington said.

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