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November 06, 2024
Peeni Henare calls for Ōpōtiki raid inquiry
Claudette Hauiti
Posted On November 6, 2024
Download AudioFormer Labour Minister for Whānau Ora and Defence, Peeni Henare, is calling on the government to hold an inquiry into last month’s raids in Ōpōtiki.
Fifteen homes were targeted by police in a crackdown on gangs, weapons, and drugs, resulting in 22 arrests and leaving 37 tamariki without one or both parents.
Henare says lessons must be learned from the 2007 Tūhoe raids, advocating for an open inquiry where affected hāpori can participate as the only way forward.
“To get to the bottom of these things, why don’t we set up a process to make sure that they can be investigated properly? One that has the kind of public scrutiny that we’d expect; one that would be far more engaged than just police interviews; one that engages the people affected. This is an important matter. We’ve seen, as you said, the Tūhoe raids and the long, lasting impact of that, so let’s make sure we don’t replicate those. Iwi are clear on their opposition. The minister, he needs to prove otherwise,” says Henare.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell disputes claims from whānau, that tamariki as young as three years old were left unsupervised for hours before family could collect them.
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