Judge slams Child, Youth and Family for misleading information

Stuff co.nz 21 March 2017
Family First Comment: Disturbing!
“The girl was living with her drug-taking mother whose boyfriend was abusive and violent. Child, Youth and Family (CYF) though told the court it was the girl’s father who was violent… The delays meant it took five months for the father to get care of his daughter”
A Family Court judge says Child, Youth and Family put a three-year-old girl at risk with its unsubstantiated and unverified reports.
Radio New Zealand reports the girl was living with her drug-taking mother whose boyfriend was abusive and violent.
Child, Youth and Family (CYF) though told the court it was the girl’s father who was violent.
Those reports were wrong, Judge Anthony Walsh said as he described the reports as unsubstantiated and unverified.
“CYF acknowledged it had provided incorrect information about the father being violent … Understandably the misleading information distressed the father and compounded his frustration particularly with CYF,” he wrote.
The delays meant it took five months for the father to get care of his daughter and he was now suing CYF for $10,000 legal costs plus to pay for therapy for his daughter.
CYF has apologised to the father and said he could ask the Chief Executive’s Advisory Panel for a review if he was not happy.
CYF sent a statement  saying it would take a close look at its practice, as it always did if the Family Court raised concerns.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/90655043/judge-slams-child-youth-and-family-for-misleading-information