Source: Radio New Zealand
Dave Letele in studio with Guyon Espiner. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A community leader in Auckland says he is tired of telling governments how to combat youth offending.
Fewer 10- to 17-year-olds went through the youth justice system in the year to June 2025 compared to the previous year, a new Ministry of Justice report has shown.
The Youth Justice Indicators report, published on Friday, said in the year to June 2025 the rate of police action against children decreased by 22 percent, and against young people by 9 percent.
The report defines those aged 10 to 13 years old as children, and 14- to 17-year-olds as young people.
However, Pacific young people experienced an increase in police action. Pacific young people were also more likely to experience a more serious response from the justice system than other groups, the report showed.
For example, 29 percent of Pacific young people proceeded against by police appeared in court, compared with 26 percent for the total population and 38 percent of the Pacific young people who appeared in the Youth Court were remanded into custody, compared with 32 percent for the total population.
Buttabean founder Dave Letele said that was not surprising to people like him who work with youth.
“Research like this is great because it tells the truth, and it’s not telling us anything we don’t know.
“But it’s frustrating because every time these reports are released, we keep having the same conversation.”
There was obviously a correlation between the high number of Pacific youth facing material hardship and going through the youth justice system, he said.
Data released by Stats NZ this week for the year to June 2025 showed one in seven children was living in hardship.
Letele said for Pacific children, it was one in three.
“Until all governments understand that they must invest in grassroots community-led programmes, and invest in them sustainably, so they’re not having to worry about funding all the time, nothing is going to change.
“I keep saying that, they just need to listen.”
Louise Upston. RNZ / Mark Papalii
Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Louise Upston earlier this week said reducing children’s material hardship was a priority in the government’s child and youth strategy.
“Our government is taking action to reduce child poverty by fixing the basics and building the future.”
She said the just-released statistics showed no statistically significant changes in the three primary child poverty measures compared to 2023/24.
“Our government has made a number of changes to improve the lives of Kiwi families, we’ve increased the in-work tax credit, lifted the threshold for Working for Families, provided working families with tax relief, reduced inflation and introduced FamilyBoost to make childcare more affordable.
“Unemployment is the last thing to come right after a recession and that is why our government is focused on growing the economy, reducing the number of people on the jobseeker benefit and reducing the number of children in benefit dependent households.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
