To: Māori Pati, the Government
Justice and Dignity for Abandoned Newborns in Aotearoa
We call on the New Zealand Government, Police, Oranga Tamariki, and local councils to:
- Amend the Joint Child Protection Protocol (CPP) to uphold mana tamaiti, and expressly include unclaimed or abandoned tamariki as a category. Add a clause to the Child Protection Protocol (CPP) explicitly recognising safe relinquishment of newborns as a protective act, not neglect or abandonment in the criminal sense.
- Designate hospitals, birthing centres, or community health providers as Safe Haven sites, locations in which newborns can be anonymously and safely left without legal consequences.
- In cases of safe relinquishment, protocols should establish transparent processes, activate a culturally grounded, trauma-informed response team (e.g., Māori social worker, midwife, support kaimahi) before any State intervention.
- In cases where an abandoned newborn dies and is unclaimed by whānau, a tangi or dignified farewell should be put in place, allowing for community or iwi-led ceremonies and with clear public communication.
Why is this important?
Because no baby should be discarded and forgotten.
Because every pēpi deserves to be honoured.
Because silence is not respect — it’s erasure.
When a baby like Anahera (Onehunga, 2021) or the Freeman’s Bay newborn (2024) is found alone and abandoned, they deserve more than just a coroner’s report. They deserve love, karakia, and the dignity of being remembered. These cases are extremely distressing and complex, as such they require nuanced approaches.
This isn’t just about grief — it’s about how we treat the most vulnerable in our country. It’s about our values as a community, as tangata whenua, as whānau.
As a mother, compassion and empathy must be intertwined with care. The more supportive pathways we can extend to the people who are suffering, the greater a chance we have of protecting the safety and wellbeing of children. was found. This petition is my karanga — a call for dignity, justice, and aroha.
