Paora Brosnan. Photo: Tuauri
Ōpōtiki-based iwi Te Whakatōhea is standing by claims children were left to fend for themselves after their parents were arrested following police raids.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell has denied reports a three-year-old was left for hours unsupervised and children were left behind at school after their parents were arrested in raids suspected to be connected with the Mongrel Mob.
Mitchell said the claims were "wrong" and followed up both cases with police, who denied them.
He urged those who were making complaints to contact the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).
"In fact the issues that were raised with me, we went away and fact-checked that and it wasn't the case at all," Mitchell said.
Te Whakatōhea kaikōrero Paora Brosnan told RNZ he wondered which police officers the minister was speaking with.
"The day of the raids, 100 percent of the squads that came into Ōpōtiki weren't from Ōpōtiki. They didn't know this community from a bar of soap - that's really concerning.
"I have spoken to people that were arrested and involved in the raids on the day, and they themselves have told me that their kids were left without them - the parents - being at home upon their return from school."
Brosnan said calling people "liars" was not the best way to "cover up your mistakes".
"Their reality is their reality, and calling them a liar just further victimises these parents who were just concerned about their children."
Brosnan said the big issue was the lack of consultation with iwi and hapū prior to the raids.
"A heads-up at 7am in the morning to a random staff member of the iwi organisation isn't consultation, so no, they haven't consulted with iwi.
Mark Mitchell Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
"The other part of that too is that there is a big difference between an iwi organisation with elected members who are there to look after the assets, and the actual iwi who are on the ground doing the day-to-day work."
If consultation was to happen, that would mitigate fallout for the tamariki, Brosnan said.
"I don't want to comment on any of the gang issues because it's not the issue for me. The issue for me is our pakeke, senior elders who were affected, and our tamariki who were affected."
He said Mitchell's advice to seek out the IPCA was the minister "just following the process".
"I think what's appropriate is ensuring that there is proper iwi and whānau consultation moving forward, and herein lies the opportunity for the minister to build real connections with Te Whakatohea."
Mitchell said he would follow up on a further claim of women being strip-searched as part of the operation.
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