Oranga Tamariki office blasted over baby's death also managed Tom Phillips case
Oranga Tamariki, New Zealand's child protection agency, is under scrutiny after it was revealed that the same site managed both the case of a baby who died from abuse and the high-profile Tom Phillips disappearance case. Internal reviews have identified significant failures in risk assessment and staff training.
Why it matters
The revelations raise serious questions about the efficacy and oversight of child welfare services in New Zealand.
An Oranga Tamariki office whose handling of a baby's death was the subject of a scathing internal review also managed the Tom Phillips case , RNZ can reveal.
The agency says it's made a number of changes at both a site and regional level and has recently appointed a Waikato commissioner.
RNZ earlier revealed an internal Oranga Tamariki review found a series of failures in the agency's handling of Mustafa Ali before he was killed by his father in June 2024.
Mustafa was hospitalised about eight months before his death with serious injuries that his father, Mukzameel Ali, said were caused when he fell while carrying the baby down some stairs.
Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz
A review found several failings in the agency's response including "minimal analysis" of risk and that the monitoring was not good enough.
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