Oranga Tamariki staff present during ritual assault on youth at Korowai Manaaki

Oranga Tamariki acknowledged that employees were in the unit when a young person was assaulted by other teenagers during a "walking the line" ceremony at the Korowai Manaaki residence. The ritual involves youths lining the doorway as the departing individual walks out, and in this case three youths stood on one side and two on the other while the person appeared nervous. Police investigated the event but concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing by either the youths or the staff, resulting in no charges.

The agency has opened an employment inquiry and said staff conduct is being addressed, though details remain confidential. Deputy chief executive Dean Winter said steps are being taken to tighten incident-reporting expectations, emphasizing that any harm in their facilities is unacceptable.