A former CYFs caregiver is accused of sexually and physically abusing 17 boys in the mid-2000s. Photo / 123RF
A former CYFs caregiver is accused of sexually and physically abusing 17 boys in the mid-2000s. Photo / 123RF
A former Child, Youth and Family caregiver will keep his name secret for at least another month after being accused of sexually abusing more than a dozen boys.
But the Crown wants the accused man named before his trial so that other potential complainants might come forward.
In a decision this month, obtained by the Herald, Justice Christian Whata continued the suppression order for the Auckland man who faces a total of 43 charges against 17 then boys.
Suppression will lapse, however, on January 17 unless he challenges the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
"There should be no expectation of a further extension by this court," Justice Whata said.
The man, who is in his 50s, has pleaded not guilty to all the allegations and is due to go on trial in April in the High Court at Auckland.
The ex-caregiver's alleged offending stems from the mid-2000s and after an intensive police investigation, dubbed Operation Elephant, the man was charged just before Christmas last year.
Of the 17 complainants, 14 were allegedly sexually abused while others were subjected to physical abuse when the man was working for Child, Youth and Family - now Oranga Tamariki.
Justice Mark Woolford said naming the ex-social worker would not act as a personal deterrence or protect the community.
In a decision made last week, and released to the Herald, the judge said "very special circumstances exist in this case which displace the principle that offenders names should normally not be suppressed".
"[The woman] has already been described in media reports as a former Oranga Tamariki social worker in her mid-30s. Full details of her offending have been published. Reference in newspaper reports has been made to a psychologist's report, which discussed the motivation for the offending. A photograph of her with her head covered by a denim jacket leaving court has been published," he said.
"The public know everything, but her name."
Another former Oranga Tamariki social worker, pictured covering her head with a denim jacket after her sentencing, was granted permanent name suppression. Photo / Sam Hurley
The woman's offending was earlier revealed by the Herald and included how she groomed a then 15-year-old with a series of messages, cannabis and sexually explicit photos.
When she discovered the teen's grandfather had gone to police, she begged the boy to stay silent and delete any explicit photos and messages she had sent him, court papers read.
The woman admitted meeting someone younger than 16 following sexual grooming, sexual conduct with a person under 16, exposing a young person to indecent material, two charges of supplying cannabis to a person under 18, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
She was sentenced to 10 months' home detention in October.
The woman's employment ended with Oranga Tamariki after the allegations surfaced, while an internal investigation at the Government department was also to be conducted.
Oranga Tamariki is responsible for the protection and care of children whose wellbeing is deemed to be at risk, youth offenders and children who are wards of the state.
