I want to tell you a story of how New Zealand is, with the best of intentions, failing its own people.
Five days ago I was contacted in the early hours by “Mary”, a girl I fostered 6 years ago when she was 15. She was distressed so I went and picked her up from where she had been dropped off by some random couple.
It appears that Mary had had a fight with her boyfriend and this random middle-aged couple had picked her up off the street in a distraught condition. They had taken Mary to their home, plied her with drugs, gone to Mary’s place and for some strange reason set off the fire alarm. All three then fled. The proprietor of the accommodation dialled 111 as she suspected that Mary had been kidnapped. The couple then picked up another young girl, plied them both with drugs, but because Mary became psychotic they threw her out of the car.
I took Mary back to her place, and being firmly of the opinion that she was being groomed by the gang for prostitution, stayed with her. In response to the 111 call two police officers turned up and questioned us both, then left.
Three days ago Mary’s mother called and said that Mary had sent a suicide message by text. Mary’s Mum had dialed 111. I immediately contacted Mary’s boyfriend who said she was back at her own place, I also called 111 as I was concerned about the possible gang connection. Soon after a police officer phoned me and said that Mary was back at home but was with a gang member and neither of them would engage with him.
I turned up, walked into Mary’s room and sure enough, there was a gang member there. He immediately confronted me, but I was more shocked by Mary’s reaction. She appeared not to recognise me and was demanding that I leave. I moved outside and dialed 111. That was about midday and the third 111 call. At some stage, they both came outside and confronted me and as I was talking to Mary’s mother on the phone, I asked her to call 111. Fourth call, and the second that morning. The proprietor also called 105 to do a bring up on the previous 111 call. The pair of them came up to me and both were belligerent. I managed to separate the gang member from Mary, who went and talked with the proprietor. The gang member was completely out of his tree. Slurring, rambling and alternately aggressive and then introspective. I guess an hour had passed without the cops turning up. At some stage, they moved back into her room and shut me out. I left the premises, exhausted and emotionally shattered, but stayed nearby. I asked the proprietor to tell Mary to run down the hill and await my pickup if she sought help.
A couple of hours later Mary rang me, begged for help and I told her to run, which the proprietor confirmed. I turned up but Mary was not there. Whilst searching for her I got a phone call from the proprietor saying both Mary and her gang minder were in the reception. It was clear that Mary was having a psychotic episode. She professed not to know me and then begged my forgiveness. She would give commands about contacting people then countermand them. I think we made another 111 call, fifth for the day.
Finally, the police turned up, about 4 or 5 hours after I reported being confronted by a gang member, and the apparent room invasion by him. I had asked Mary’s mum to call the Mental Health Service CAT team but they said only the police could do that. The police contacted them and were apparently told that we should ask Mary to come in during office hours after the New Years break and weekend. The gang member left, Mary became coherent enough for me to get some responses and I spent the night sleeping on the floor of her room in case the gang guy came back (I couldn’t get her to leave).
Now to my suppressed rage. I will list my concerns:
- First 111 call relating to a suicide threat. Cops find Mary in a psychotic state under the control of a gang member but, other than phone me later, do nothing.
- Second 111 call relating to Mary having been groomed by the random couple. No response.
- Third, fourth and fifth calls, over a period of hours relating to the gang member threatening me and the state Mary was in. Police finally arrived, scared the gang member away, contacted the CAT team, who declined to respond. Situation handed back to me, so really no help.
Who I am angry with:
- CAT team refusal to attend. This has caused huge issues. Mary knows it was me that initiated it, and believes I am conspiring to have her locked up. Trust smashed. However, the CAT team kindly offered to ring Mary after the holidays to see if she wants any help.
- Police. I am of two minds here. The officers did as much as they could within the bounds set by policy. Their appalling response time endangered both of us, and allowed the gang member to extend his control over Mary. But their failure to investigate this as a grooming attempt by the gangs is the worst failing of all. Once the gang member left the cops signed off the job and went home, missing the whole reason I called them.
- Politicians. All of them. I rang the ACT phone number as they are the only people I have faith in, but of course, they are on holiday. I desperately want to be involved in any reviews of the mental health service and police response to issues like this.
Where is Mary? Another random couple is taking her in and moving her away. Mary will drift out of my life once more and will continue to deteriorate. Possibly the gangs will get her.