One of the 10 participants escaped from a tangi they were allowed to attend, and now it's been revealed a second left a day later. A third was killed in a car crash.
A second young person is on the run from the government's trial boot camp, after one vanished while at the funeral of another participant, Oranga Tamariki senior executives have told a parliamentary committee.
On Thursday it was reported that one of the young men taking part in the boot camp pilot was on the run after attending the funeral of another who had died in a car crash in Tirau last week.
Those taking part in the pilot were released from the youth justice facility in Palmerston North in October, and have been in the community phase of the boot camp programme.
Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive of youth justice services and residential care Tusha Penny told a parliamentary select committee on Friday morning that two participants were actually on the run.
One escaped from the tangi - despite being supervised by two Oranga Tamariki staff - and another a day later, she said.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Penny acknowledged the death of one of the boot camp's participants and their whānau, and said a review was underway.
"We take this seriously and know it's not ideal, so immediately we've started a review to look at the circumstances leading up to that and learn from any failings we may have," she told reporters after her appearance at select committee.
Penny said she had always maintained, as had experts, that the transition from the youth justice facility to the community phase would be the most difficult part of the 12-month programme.
The second young person who had absconded was living with whānau, and took off the day after the tangi.
Oranga Tamariki's chief social worker Nicolette Dickson, chief executive Andrew Bridgeman, deputy chief executive youth justice Tusha Penny (L-R). Photo: Anneke Smith/RNZ
Penny said she wanted the boys found and returned to their whānau and back into the custody of Oranga Tamariki.
"These events may happen again, this is the transition phase, we're dealing with complex, high-risk youth offenders."
She said the tragic death of one of the youths had been a "trigger event and highly traumatic" for the two teenagers who have gone on the run.
The boot camp participant who escaped from his family home was on a curfew, Penny said.
'We need the reality'
Speaking to MPs earlier, Penny said the whānau of the teenager who has died was dealing with having to bury a son and brother, and that needed to be acknowledged first and foremost.
"We sat here probably a year ago now and said transition is going to be tough, because it's evidenced up the wazoo and everyday people are fighting. The recidivism rates we have every week going into the youth justice residences are around 60 to 80 percent.
"So I want to put that out there, because we need the reality."
Penny says she was not going to give up, despite how tough it is, and everyone in the programme has had traumatic experiences.
"Right now, two of the remaining nine rangatahi have absconded - one absconded from the tangi and one absconded a day later.
"It's been tough, we've had two of the young people arrested on charges already, one of those people the charges were withdrawn," she said.
"Do I think there will be further offending? Absolutely.
"We also though have to look for the good ... there's always some good.
"We have one of our people in fulltime employment today, I say today because this is dynamic," Penny told MPs.
"We have one of our young people on work experience, we have one likely to start work soon, we have six engaged in some education course."
Mariameno Kapa-Kingi at the select committee. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
National MP Joseph Mooney, who chairs the social services committee, has worked as a youth advocate and criminal lawyer and got emotional talking to Penny about how tough it is to try and change young people's lives.
Penny said the boot camps have been "incredibly politicised" but the programme was making change despite the whole thing not always "being successful".
"I'm not saying this is the panacea, I'm not saying it's the answer, but I'm definitely saying what we're seeing could be an improvement for youth justice across the board with an operating model."
Oranga Tamariki and Waikato police both confirmed the 15-year-old, who was granted bail on compassionate grounds to attend the funeral by the Youth Court, made his escape amongst 150 mourners.
Waikato police said he was wanted for arrest.
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