Two of the nine teens in the Government鈥檚 bootcamp pilot are missing in the days after another participant died in a car accident. 

It comes as the Children鈥檚 Minister speaks of the 鈥渄evastating鈥� impact last week鈥檚 death of one of the participants will be having on the nine other boys in the pilot and its staff. 

Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive Tusha Penny, appearing before a Parliament select committee, confirmed two of the nine pilot participants had absconded and their location was currently unknown. 

The Herald has requested further comment from Oranga Tamariki and police on the matter. 

The pilot participants were released from the Palmerston North youth justice facility in October and had been in the community phase of the programme. 

Under questioning from Labour鈥檚 children鈥檚 spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime, Penny acknowledged two of the pilot participants had been arrested with one set of the charges being withdrawn over the course of the programme. 

鈥淒o I think there will be future offending? Absolutely. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 tough and I鈥檓 not stepping away from that. We鈥檙e not going to give up.鈥� 

Penny noted how the pilot had been 鈥渋ncredibly politicised鈥�. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has been contacted for comment. 

Oranga Tamariki yesterday confirmed one of the pilot participants had absconded during the tangi for one of his fellow participants who died last week. 

Penny said the second participant absconded the day after the tangi, which was held on Tuesday. 

It was understood a pilot participant was the single fatality in a horrific crash on Wednesday last week on State Highway 1 near T墨rau involving three vehicles, including a tourist bus, which injured 14 others. 

In a statement, Penny confirmed a participant had died 鈥渁s a result of an accident鈥� but gave no further details, citing a police investigation. 

Police did not answer the Herald鈥檚 questions about the incident. 

Penny said Oranga Tamariki was offering support to the boy鈥檚 wh膩nau. The agency was also conducting an investigation alongside police. 

The crash that claimed the life of a young bootcamp pilot participant prompted a heavy emergency response. Photo / Supplied 

Speaking to the Herald, Children鈥檚 Minister Karen Chhour said she was shocked by the incident and referenced the devastation the pilot participants and staff would be feeling. 

鈥淭hey have a connection with this young man and it鈥檇 be quite devastating for them to go through this right now as well,鈥� she said. 

鈥淥ranga Tamariki is supporting all these young men and the people that have worked with these young men because this is devastating for all of us.鈥� 

She confirmed Oranga Tamariki would be 鈥渄oing everything we can鈥� to support the boy鈥檚 wh膩nau, alongside the other participants who she believed had 鈥渂ecome like a family鈥�. 

The 10 teens, all of whom aged 15-17 and had been recidivist offenders, had been residing in the community after completing the pilot鈥檚 three-month in-residence phase at Palmerston North鈥檚 youth justice facility. In the remaining nine months, the teens had been placed with wh膩nau or social services and supported by personal mentors. 

Asked if she was aware if the young man had violated any of the pilot鈥檚 rules ahead of his death, Chhour cited the ongoing investigation. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 not appropriate for me to comment on the circumstances or anything that鈥檚 happened until this investigation鈥檚 happened.鈥� 

The boy鈥檚 tangi [funeral] was held on Tuesday. Chhour said she attended in a personal capacity. 

鈥淚鈥檇 met this young man, I was proud of what he was trying to achieve and I felt like supporting the family was the right thing to do,鈥� she said. 

鈥淚 was very grateful for them allowing me to attend the funeral in support, especially for such a private and personal moment, to hear the stories and to hear how he was really proud of where he was going and what he was doing. 

鈥淭he family was really proud of what they were seeing as well [which] was a bit of a comfort to hear that.鈥� 

Act leader David Seymour and Children's Minister Karen Chhour look at the type of footwear youth at the new military academy pilot would receive. Photo / RNZ 

It was at the boy鈥檚 tangi that the other bootcamp participant escaped police and Oranga Tamariki staff and is currently missing. Waikato police are seeking to arrest the participant for breaching compassionate bail. 

Oranga Tamariki yesterday said the boy who absconded had been granted bail on 鈥渃ompassionate grounds鈥� to attend the tangi. 

Chhour said the boy had been in a youth justice facility, having re-offended since re-entering the community. 

She confirmed he was the same participant referenced in her statement on November 21, revealing how one of the 10 teens had allegedly re-offended. 

鈥淚鈥檓 saddened that this young person has not taken this opportunity at a second chance,鈥� she said at the time. 

鈥淲e were hopeful this would not occur, but we understand the complexities in the lives of these young people. Ultimately, what they do with these opportunities is up to them.鈥� 

Chhour yesterday said it was the only incident of a pilot participant re-offending she was aware of. 

She said she didn鈥檛 see the boy abscond at the tangi and didn鈥檛 know when it occurred. 

鈥淭here鈥檒l be more details that will come out once the investigation has happened, I wasn鈥檛 aware at the time that that had happened and I鈥檓 just disappointed at the end of the day that it did.鈥� 

She wouldn鈥檛 say whether Oranga Tamariki or police had been in charge of monitoring the boy, claiming that was an 鈥渙perational鈥� matter. 

However, she said Oranga Tamariki and police staff were 鈥渨orking really hard in making sure that we locate this young man鈥�. 

Asked whether this constituted a failure on Oranga Tamariki鈥檚 part, Chhour again cited the ongoing review. 

鈥淚 can鈥檛 really comment until I know the exact details and there will be a review into both incidents that will come my way and then I鈥檒l know more detail.鈥� 

Chhour couldn鈥檛 say when the investigations would be completed but described the review into the absconding incident as 鈥渞apid鈥�. 

Last month, the Government passed legislation through its first reading which would enable judges to send young offenders to bootcamps by creating the Young Serious Offender category, a key plank of the Government鈥檚 law and order policy agenda. 

The legislation was expected to become law in March. 

Prime said it was 鈥渧ery tragic鈥� the young man had passed away but she remained concerned about the Government鈥檚 bootcamps. 

鈥淭he Government needs to stop this harmful experiment and should not push ahead with their legislation to entrench them,鈥� she told the Herald. 

鈥淭he Prime Minister should care.鈥� 

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for 九一星空无限 since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whang膩rei before moving to the NZ Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.