An investigation is under way after a 12-year-old girl died in Child Youth and Family care, less than a month after she was allegedly abused by a caregiver.
The girl was found dead in a North Shore home by a younger sibling. Police say there were no suspicious circumstances and the case has now been referred to the coroner. But the girl's extended family are upset she was put into the care of a man who molested her and the fact it took four days for CYF to remove her once the allegations were made.
The girl and her seven siblings were put into the care of a Northland family two and a-half years ago.
Her father, who had supervised visits, said one of his sons accused the caregiver of hitting the children about two years ago but CYF never did anything about it.
"We were always telling CYF that these caregivers were hurting our kids," he said. "They said they would go and investigate it. They came back and said we were lying and the kids were making it up."
At the beginning of last month, the girl told her father, during another supervised visit, that she was being abused by her caregiver.
The father told the CYF case worker about the allegations that day but nothing happened. He was told CYF would make inquiries internally.
Under agreed protocol, the girl should have been immediately removed from the caregiver and police notified. But it is understood neither happened as the social worker did not alert anyone that weekend.
By the Monday, unhappy with the lack of action, the father went to his local MP and the police. CYF was also notified again. But the children were not removed from the Northland family's care until the next day.
The girl and her 7-year-old sister were separated and sent to a home in Auckland, which her family claim added to her distress.
Last Saturday, her sister found her dead in their bedroom
