The court heard the children were placed in the fulltime custody of the husband and wife by Oranga Tamariki due to the pair’s existing family connection to them. In his opening address to the jury, Crown lawyer Ben Bosomworth said violence was commonplace for the children. The woman allegedly abandoned the children at an Oranga Tamariki office and said she'd had enough. The woman eventually dropped the children off at the Oranga Tamariki office in Kaitāia and told staff she’d “had enough”. The trial continues, and over the following days, the Crown will call several witnesses, including the complainants and Oranga Tamariki workers.

Source: New Zealand Herald January 20, 2026 09:16 UTC