Coroner questions safety plan used before girl's death
Tuesday 22 September 2026 · 2 outlets · 3 reports · updated In this story Oranga Tamariki, Heather McKenzie
An inquest is investigating the 2017 suspected suicide of a 12-year-old girl in New Plymouth. Coroner Heather McKenzie questioned the decision to send the child home with a safety plan. A former senior constable testified that Oranga Tamariki lacked urgency regarding the girl's safety.
Key facts
5 facts
- The inquest concerns the June 27, 2017, suspected suicide of a 12-year-old girl in New Plymouth.
- The girl's death occurred amidst ongoing abuse and neglect by Dana Taylor, who was jailed for four years and three months.
- The inquest is being held at the New Plymouth District Court.
- The girl's risk assessment score was 4 out of 25, while a score of 12-plus was considered high-risk.
- The social worker managing the case was dealing with 42 clients when the ideal number was no more than 17.
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
An inquest is being held at the New Plymouth District Court into the June 27, 2017, suspected suicide of a 12-year-old New Plymouth girl. Coroner Heather McKenzie questioned whether it was appropriate to send the child home with a safety plan shortly before her death.
The safety plan included teachers, neighbours, wider whānau members, and instructions to call 111 if the girl felt unsafe. An Oranga Tamariki supervisor stated that a child of that age had the ability to ''self-protect' to a degree.
Former senior constable Anna Duncan testified that Oranga Tamariki lacked urgency in the case, which she found frustrating and upsetting. However, the Oranga Tamariki supervisor argued the agency did provide more urgency than their own contact centre believed was necessary.
The girl had scored 4 out of 25 on a risk assessment, which was considered low despite her admitting to thoughts of 'ending it all' and having self-harmed. A specialist teacher had previously made a mental health referral, but there was a 16-18 month wait to be seen.
Where reports differ
- The Oranga Tamariki supervisor stated the agency acted with urgency, while former senior constable Anna Duncan testified that the agency lacked urgency.
Compiled from reports by Otago Daily Times and The Post.