An emotional minister Karen Chhour, Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence, has confirmed that one of the 10 teenagers in the Government’s military-style bootcamp has died in an accident, while another is currently on the run after absconding.

The young man was the fatality in a crash on State Highway 1 near Tīrau last Wednesday, involving three vehicles, including a tourist bus, which injured 14 others.

Chhour says she is heartbroken for the rangatahi tāne and his whānau

“You know, this boy was finally starting to turn his life around and he’s finally got to the stage where he where could tell him from the stories I heard that he was really proud of himself and holding his head high and he’d finally clipped, you know, and it’s really sad for the family and my heart goes out to them,” says Minister Chhour.

Former Oranga Tamariki chair Matthew Tukaki says he is disgusted by the Government’s Boot Camps having learnt that tonight a young person involved in one of them has died. As the former Chair of the Ministry’s Ministerial Advisory Board, the Minister should resign—the Government should hang its head in collective shame. This Government cannot be trusted with the care and protection of our nation’s greatest treasure—our children.”