John Tekuru, seen appearing via audio-video link in the Rotorua District Court, is awaiting sentencing after abducting a girl from a daycare centre. Photo / Kelly Makiha
An early childhood advocate alleges a “cover-up” by education officials over the case of a 3-year-old girl snatched from a Rotorua daycare centre by a stranger with sexually abusive intentions.
Dr Sarah Alexander claims the Ministry of Education has not been transparent enough about how the incident was able to happen – information she believes must be shared to stop it happening again.
While the ministry backtracked on an initial claim that the centre did not breach regulations, it also said there was no cover-up and it legally could not reveal some incident details.
Offender John Tekuru, 19, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to taking the toddler with intent to have an unlawful sexual connection with her.
Security footage obtained by police showed Tekuru loitered outside the centre’s grounds for more than an hour on the morning of March 10.
He peeped over and perched on the 2m-high boundary fence and jumped into a play area twice.
The first time, he threw a ball over the fence, then left.
The second time, he picked up the girl near the sandpit and dropped her over the fence.
Tekuru carried her towards his home but let her go when she cried hysterically.
She ran back to the centre gate, where staff found her about two minutes after she was taken.
Police arrested Tekuru later that day. He told them he intended to rape the girl at home.
The name of the early childhood centre is permanently suppressed to protect the victim’s identity.
Alexander said she was concerned it had not been made clear or public how Tekuru got into the centre unseen.
She previously advocated for the Rotorua family of Neihana Renata, who was left brain-damaged after choking on apple at a Rotorua daycare in 2016.
Her work helped uncover a series of failings by WorkSafe and the Ministry of Education, leading to formal apologies and ex-gratia payments to the Renata family from both.
She said the snatching case circumstances should be talked about to prevent similar incidents happening again.
“The Ministry of Education’s wall of silence is astounding. It could be talking about this and informing the sector in detail, even without naming the centre and anyone involved.”
She questioned why Tekuru was not seen the first time he entered the property.
“If they saw him and saw he was returning a ball, why was he not approached and told to leave?
“After coming back and taking the girl, why was he not seen? If he was seen, why did no one chase him?”
She said clearly the fence could be scaled as he got over twice, yet it was considered compliant. She questioned why barbed wire wasn’t put on top of the fence.
She was also concerned the family might not know they had a right to make a formal complaint, which would have led to the ministry placing the centre on a provisional licence to investigate its procedures and practices properly.
She said without a full investigation, the incident could be seen as “swept under the carpet”.
In her opinion: “I think it’s fair to say there’s been a cover-up, especially since the ministry admitted the information they gave was ‘incomplete’.”
She said the family should be given a formal apology and redress.
She believed centres should adopt an “active supervision” policy to ensure children were seen at all times, apart from during toileting, as opposed to the current child-to-adult ratio policy.
The ministry initially told the Rotorua Daily Post it had investigated the centre and found no licence breaches.
After further questions, the ministry admitted an “oversight” and said the centre was found in breach of regulations.
The ministry also revised its response to Alexander’s Official Information Act request for details about any breaches at the centre.
The original response withheld information on the grounds there was no breach.
The ministry later said the information provided was “incomplete” and apologised for the confusion.
Ministry central region acting deputy secretary Tracey Turner said the centre breached the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008 requirement to “take all reasonable steps to promote the good health and safety of children enrolled in the service”.
The centre was required to address this by taking actions around its supervision plan and ensuring the layout of the premises and access points no longer posed unnecessary risks.
The ministry went back to the centre on March 31 for a follow-up visit.
No formal complaint was lodged by the family of the girl.
Responding to Alexander’s comments, Turner said the ministry understood there was public interest given the seriousness of the incident.
“However, court-ordered name suppression and privacy obligations mean that some information must be withheld. That is not a cover-up, it is a legal requirement designed to protect the privacy and well-being of those involved, especially children.”
She said the ministry was committed to transparency and accountability.
“We acknowledge that there have been inconsistencies in the information provided, and we are taking steps to address these. We welcome scrutiny and will continue to improve our processes to maintain public trust.”
The Rotorua Daily Post asked the centre four times how the incident happened and if it had formally apologised to the family involved or awarded them compensation.
The explanation it eventually offered was that “this situation happened because someone, unknown to the centre, had been loitering outside and chose to enter the centre, with intent”.
“We are not deliberately trying to omit information relating to this incident. As previously indicated, this was incredibly distressing for everyone involved – and continues to be.”
The statement said the centre could not predict or control the behaviour of people outside its premises, especially if they “go to lengths” to get in and avoid being seen by adults.
The offender was inside the perimeter “momentarily”.
“Unfortunately, a very small amount of time was enough in this case.”
The centre said it was fully staffed at the time. Its perimeter fencing was compliant with ministry regulations.
“As with any unprecedented situation, we have reviewed our policies and procedures. We stand by our team, who responded appropriately and followed our policies and procedures in responding to the incident.”
The centre said its staff had supported the child and their family throughout.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.