Welfare failed boy killer says police officer

By TONY WALL

A policeman who tried to save New Zealand's youngest killer from a cycle of chronic offending says Child, Youth and Family Services failed the boy.

Bailey Junior (BJ) Kurariki was in the department's custody but had absconded and was running loose on the streets of Papakura when he and five friends lured Pizza Hut delivery man Michael Choy, 40, to a dark driveway and hit him over the head with a baseball bat.

On Saturday a jury in the High Court at Auckland found Kurariki, 13, guilty of manslaughter.

Senior Constable Len Johnson of Papakura believes that Kurariki, 12 when Mr Choy was attacked, would not have been there if social workers had followed through on plans for his care and rehabilitation.

Kurariki's involvement in the killing was the "end result of CYF's failings", he said.

Kurariki's family are also critical of the service, saying not enough was done to break his cycle of crime.

The service says it did all it could with an extremely difficult child.

A New Zealand Herald investigation has found that Kurariki had been in trouble since the age of five and his divorced parents had lost all control of him. In the three years leading up to the Choy killing his crimes had included terrorising, beating and robbing other children. He had not been to school since 1999.

Last night Children's Commissioner Roger McClay suggested failures in enforcing school attendance could be partly to blame for Kurariki's behaviour.

"The situation with him didn't start when he went out that night with those guys. He was kicked out of school at standard four. That's very young," Mr McClay said.

In June last year Mr Johnson went to the Papakura District Court for an order placing Kurariki in the custody of CYF. He believes it was not his job to do that - but social workers had "dragged their arses" after he had repeatedly asked them to apply for custody.

A week after Mr Johnson obtained the order Kurariki ran away from a foster home in Mangere. CYF allowed him to stay with his father for the next two months, then placed him with a community organisation in Devonport.

Five days before the Choy killing he ran away from the home. He arrived at his father's house with a black eye, complaining he had been beaten by an older child. His father notified CYF's Manurewa office.

Kurariki's adult sister claims no one came to the house to get the boy.

Manurewa social work manager Graeme Vincent said staff did arrange to retrieve Kurariki, but were late arriving and the boy had gone. It was agreed that the family should notify CYF if he turned up.

No further steps were taken to locate him and social workers did not see him again until after his arrest for murder.

Mr Johnson said that in the two years he had dealt with Kurariki, CYF "didn't do anything for him at all".

"We had two family group conferences. CYF came up with all these master plans ... like finding him a special school and getting him on programmes to help with his anger ... but nothing would happen."

Mr Johnson said he went on leave shortly after he obtained the court order so was unable to follow up on Kurariki.

"CYF basically gave the argument that there was nowhere else for him [but his parents' homes]. If I was around I wouldn't have accepted that.

"If they're saying they can't find a foster bed for him he should have been put in Weymouth [secure facility]."

Mr Vincent said the court order was intended to give flexibility and allowed for Kurariki to go between CYF's care and his parents'.

Kurariki was not considered a candidate for Weymouth because of his age, "but our planning was probably leading in that direction".

Mr Vincent said he believed CYF did the best it could for Kurariki.

Kurariki is being held at the secure youth facility in Christchurch and will be sentenced next month, with five co-accused.

Alexander Tokorua Peihopa, 16, and Whatarangi Rawiri, 17, were found guilty of murder. Phillip Kaukasi, 17, Riki Rapira, 16, and Joe Kaukasi, 15, were found guilty of manslaughter.