How Could You? Hall of Shame-New Zealand-Social Worker Amanda Tatam

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Wellington, New Zealand, “a woman who was a Child Youth and Family social worker is accused of sexually violating a boy in her care as well as assault and supplying cannabis.

Hastings woman Amanda Tatam, 30, is facing five charges of sexual conduct with a boy aged under 16, and threatening to cause grievous bodily harm to the boy and another boy.

The alleged offending occurred between November, 2016 and February, 2017.

Tatam is also facing a representative charge of supplying cannabis between July 2015 and November 2016, and charges of assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest when she was arrested in October last year.

She was granted name suppression when she appeared in Hastings District Court in late October last year, but the order lapsed and an application to have it extended was declined on Thursday.

Grant Bennett, Oranga Tamariki regional manager, Wellington East Coast, said between July and November 2016 Tatam was a student social worker on a short-term student placement with CYF. She was subject to the appropriate vetting checks of the time.

In July 2017 Oranga Tamariki and other agencies were made aware of the allegations against Tatam, he said.

When Oranga Tamariki was established on April 1, 2017 it made sweeping changes to the way vulnerable children were protected.

All staff (including students) go through an extensive vetting process, which included assessment, personal and professional character references, and police checks.

“Our primary concern now is for the safety and wellbeing of the young person at the centre of this case, ” Bennett said.

Tatam is set down to stand trial in September.”

CYF social worker charged with sexual offending and supplying drugs to boys in her care

[Stuff 5/12/18 by Marty Sharpe]

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