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Mitchell made multiple comments suggesting he would help people leave the clutches of gangs in response tocriticism of the laws the Government is planning on implementing, including the introduction of dispersal notices, anti-consorting laws, and the banning of gang insignia in public.
Mitchell told the Herald his staff had done an “outstanding job” on providing advice and disputed the woman’s claims.
“One [who provided advice] was a Detective Senior Sergeant who spent a lot of time engaging with the person to best understand how to triage the call to provide the best advice,” Mitchell said.
“The advice included contacting the most relevant and appropriate agencies that are able to support her with her specific needs, and also advice on referrals to potential NGOs.”
But the woman has refuted Mitchell’s version of events and said she asked for support to relocate to a safer area outside the gang’s turf. She also provided a copy of an email she sent to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on December 4 outlining that she had spoken to Mitchell’s office about needing help “around gangs”.
Mark Mitchell meets gang whānau hikoi representatives Matilda Kahotea and Taniora Tamihana (left) at Parliament in September. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The woman told the Herald she initially thought the gang was “great” and was “changing their ways, doing [a] positive thing” but within a year of joining, alarm bells began ringing.
“I’m just one of many, there’s some girls that are too scared to get out and they work for them. They’re living in emergency housing and paying or serving them or selling drugs for them or being a prostitute for them. And there’s no way I’ll ever do that, no way, so I fled.”
However, she said trying to find a rental property outside the gang’s reach was difficult and believed the more government agencies were told of her predicament the greater the risk the gang would find her.
After seeing Mitchell’s public promise in September in the news, she said she decided to contact him for support.
“Reaching out to Mark Mitchell, I thought, okay look, I’m going to let it all hang out. I can’t live like this much longer. I need to be able to be relocated, especially where my supports are. And trying to get there, I’ve tried to get on to housing lists and I’m having to jump through bloody hoops through every government agency.”
She said she contacted Mitchell’s office on multiple occasions, providing copies of an email and call logs to the Herald, and had also contacted another National MP.
The woman said when she initially contacted someone over the phone in Mitchell’s office it began well, but when she got a call back she claimed the staffer did not offer help with her situation, instead suggesting she contact Oranga Tamariki.
“I said no way, I’m not losing my children. My children are all I’ve got and the first thing those people will do will try and take my children,” the woman said.
She said she was also told her to reach out to Women’s Refuge or speak to police. She told the Herald she had contacted some support agencies.
“[The National Party are] no different to the Mongrel Mob selling false dreams. Because that’s what it was. I thought this is it, we can get out.”
She said the agencies she had spoken to kept pointing her in different directions and she was nervous to share what she is going through with too many people because the gang may find out where she is.
The woman said she had hoped National would help her relocate as finding a rental had been difficult and it was now looking like returning to the gang would be the easiest thing to do.
“Because the rules are once you leave, you don’t stay anywhere in their region.”
Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.
