Youth will face criminal charges for damaging the roof of Oranga Tamariki Courthouse in Auckland

A group of young people who climbed onto the roof of a youth justice facility in Wiri will face criminal charges for the damage they caused.

The group of 13 people climbed onto the roof of Korowai Manaaki in south Auckland about 6.40pm on Monday. They claimed that they were protesting because they were not allowed outside.

They also claimed that they were not fed.

Nine of the group were persuaded to come down overnight and Tuesday morning, with the remaining four coming down just before 11am. All were placed under guard or removed by police.

“Whilst it is disappointing that this happened, we can confirm that at no point were there any concerns about public safety,” Oranga Tamariki Youth and Residential Justice Services deputy chief executive Ian Chapman said.

“The standard operating procedure we have for such incidents was put in place immediately to ensure that young people are not able to go further than the roof within the site.”

Despite initial reports that the youths were demanding McDonald’s Big Mac sets, cigarettes and a getaway car, Chapman said the group “made no requests or demands of our on-site staff.”

Earlier Tuesday morning, the group could be seen tearing apart the roof, ripping out insulation and wood. An RNZ reporter at the scene said two youths appeared to have crawled through a hole cut in one of the buildings before climbing out again.

“These young men are here in Korowai Manaaki because they have committed serious crimes,” Chapman said.

“They damaged parts of our facilities and will be prosecuted.”

Police officers who had previously patrolled the perimeter now gathered in front of the building.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the authorities will not give in to the demands of young people.

“They’re not coming for KFC,” Luxon said.

“These are some of the most serious and violent young offenders.”

A damage assessment and recovery plan are currently underway, Chapman said.

This is not the first time young people have climbed onto the roof of Korowai Manaaki. A similar incident in July 2023 was blamed on staff shortages.

The July report said staff at the facility smuggled contraband, beat children and silenced informants.

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