Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Hawke's Bay DHB member calls for investigation into attempt to take baby at hospital

By Astrid Austin and Blair Voorend
Hawkes Bay Today·
12 May, 2019 09:32 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Jacoby Poulain believes the hospital failed in its duty to care for the mother. Photo / Paul Taylor

Jacoby Poulain believes the hospital failed in its duty to care for the mother. Photo / Paul Taylor

A Hawke's Bay District Health Board member has called for an independent investigation after an attempt to remove a seven-day-old baby from a teenage mother last week.

Jacoby Poulain said she believes the hospital "failed" in its duty of care to look after the young mother.

"I struggle to see when it is ever necessary to yank a baby away...

"There should be a high degree of evidence to support that and I am struggling to understand what the DHB systems were to ensure that evidence is so high that it justifies the removal of that baby."

In 2018, 162 children and young people were uplifted from their homes in Hawke's Bay, an increase of 86 children since 2016.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Last year Oranga Tamariki received a total of 781 reports of neglect or abuse in Hawke's Bay alone.

Poulain said District Health Boards have a "greater role" to play in child welfare matters, than what was exhibited in this situation.

"It's not merely a matter between Oranga Tamariki and the whānau in terms of uplifts occurring at hospitals, but actually the health system is a crucial part of these matters."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It is understood the mother is now at a residence being supported by professionals.

An independent investigation is being called into the attempted uplifting of a baby from Hawke's Bay Hospital last week. Photo / Sarah Gully
An independent investigation is being called into the attempted uplifting of a baby from Hawke's Bay Hospital last week. Photo / Sarah Gully

Poulain said she has written to health board chairperson Kevin Atkinson requesting his support for an independent investigation into the incident.

Discover more

Kahu

Iwi's message to Govt over taken baby: 'We will intervene at all costs'

09 May 02:07 AM
New Zealand

The attempt to take a baby: Oranga Tamariki says its sole priority was to keep it safe

10 May 12:09 AM

Comment: DHB 'failed significantly' in its duty

13 May 06:44 PM

Opinion: We need an inquiry into our parenting crisis

15 May 03:14 AM

Atkinson said the DHB was reviewing the event, however it was obligated to follow conditions and instructions specified in Court Orders.

"In this case the lead agency was Oranga Tamariki. The instruction to the district health board, from Oranga Tamariki included restricted access of whānau and midwife.

"The district health board spent some time trying to negotiate access for them, however a midwife was with mother and child at all times."

He said a whānau hui has since been held with Oranga Tamariki, police and district health board staff and a plan to support parents was agreed by all involved and was now in place.

At a meeting of state child-snatching victims near Raglan over the weekend Whanau First spokesperson and former Hastings local Lou Hutchinson spoke about the work the government was doing in the protection of children in New Zealand.

She says the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and faith-based institutional care should be investigating modern-day complaints – "instead of closing the door at the end of 1999".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Surely the ultimate aim of an inquiry like this is to stop the abuse happening," she said.

"There is plenty of evidence that abuse is still happening under the watch of Oranga Tamariki, the modern-day agency which is itself not showing any concern at all."

Hutchinson said that the issues it has created has had a devastating toll on families.

"There are some very damaged and traumatised children, parents and grandparents, all in despair because of the abuse being perpetrated by a modern Government agency and its very protected staff," Hutchinson said.

"The issues this has caused are unthinkable, and tragic."

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

'We have you surrounded': Police stood down after Hawke's Bay stand-off, search continues

Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

Black Ferns: Tui pair on the big bird for matches in South Africa

Hawkes Bay Today

Four crashes in 40 minutes in Hawke's Bay, two seriously injured


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

'We have you surrounded': Police stood down after Hawke's Bay stand-off, search continues
Hawkes Bay Today

'We have you surrounded': Police stood down after Hawke's Bay stand-off, search continues

A police officer could be heard speaking over a loudspeaker at the scene.

17 Jul 04:06 AM
Premium
Premium
Black Ferns: Tui pair on the big bird for matches in South Africa
Hawkes Bay Today

Black Ferns: Tui pair on the big bird for matches in South Africa

17 Jul 04:00 AM
Four crashes in 40 minutes in Hawke's Bay, two seriously injured
Hawkes Bay Today

Four crashes in 40 minutes in Hawke's Bay, two seriously injured

17 Jul 03:11 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP