What about CYF?

"Ethical boundaries for people who work with youth," is the title of a media release from NZAAHD. Heard of them before? No. Neither had I. They are New Zealand Aotearoa Adolescent Health and Development.

This will be about the CYF worker who had sex with a minor he was working with and made the news recently, I think.

A Child Youth and Family worker faces jail after being convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old girl in his care.

Additionally, "He is one of four CYF workers who have lost their jobs in the past year after inappropriate relationships with young people."

But no. I'm wrong. It is a response to the possibility of the Waipareira Trust employing Clint Rickards to work with young Maori.

According to NZAAHD, "Mr Rickards has not been convicted of a crime. We must remember that he was found not guilty. However in his admission he had repeated sexual encounters with a young woman while he was in a professional position of power. He has yet to apologise for this, or admit that he made a mistake."

An employer of any practitioner who is being asked to work with youth should consider this concerning, and at the very least put some processes in place to ensure this wouldn't happen again.

Yet the same organisation failed to criticise and offer this advice to a government department which seems to have a proven track record of employing people who go on to 'exploit' their position. (Note to self. Any organisation with 'Aoteoroa' in its name can reasonably be expected to exhibit a left-wing government bias.)

I wouldn't go to bat for Rickards. He can look after himself. But there is something of a witch hunt developing here.