Source: Radio New Zealand
The highest number of sexual assault allegations made by prisoners against staff in the 2024/25 financial year was recorded at Auckland Prison. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Department of Corrections says a sharp rise in allegations of sexual assault by prisoners against staff is largely due to the introduction of a digital complaints function on in-prison kiosks.
However, a prisoner advocacy group says the increase reflects longstanding issues that were only now becoming visible.
Figures released to RNZ under the Official Information Act show there were 615 allegations of sexual assault made by prisoners against staff in the 2024/25 financial year, with the highest numbers recorded at Auckland Prison (152) and Mt Eden Corrections Facility (127).
However, Corrections said the “overwhelming majority” of those complaints were not substantiated.
Of the total, 343 were recorded as entered in error, 82 were withdrawn by prisoners and 99 were referred to alternative complaints processes because they did not relate to staff misconduct. The figures show 91 were not upheld, while just three allegations were upheld and one resulted in Police charges.
So far in the 2025/26 financial year, 153 allegations had been recorded, with similar trends in outcomes.
Corrections attributed the increase in complaints since 2023 to a new feature added to prisoner kiosks, allowing inmates to directly submit allegations against staff.
The President of the Corrections Association, Floyd Du Plessis, described the kiosks as fixed, wall-mounted touchscreen terminals available to prisoners in day rooms.
“They’re similar to an iPad-type system,” he said. “They’re bolted to the wall, and prisoners can access them during the day.”
Through the kiosks, inmates could communicate with case managers, request to speak with staff, access information, order canteen items and lodge complaints.
The complaints function covered a wide range of issues, from prisoner rights and general concerns to allegations about staff conduct, Du Plessis said.
Corrections said the kiosks also included a free-text field, which the department said had shown many complaints categorised as sexual assault were not, in fact, allegations of that nature.
Du Plessis said in his view many of the complaints were “malicious” or stemmed from misunderstandings of routine prison procedures.
He pointed to examples where prisoners had made sexual assault allegations following standard rub-down searches, which were part of daily safety protocols.
“There’s nothing sexual in that … it’s just a duty staff have to perform,” he said.
“While we do have a small number of these complaints that do come through, it is very small, and most of the allegations that do come through end up having no result because there’s no substance or basis to it,” he said.
The union wanted a limit on the number of complaints a prisoner could file each day.
“At this point, removing the complaints wouldn’t be reasonable … but potentially limiting the number of complaints a prisoner can make on any day – absolutely,” he said.
Du Plessis said complaints were initially assessed by senior officers, with further action depending on their seriousness. In some cases, staff could be reassigned or suspended while investigations were carried out.
He said access to CCTV footage often allowed incidents to be reviewed quickly.
“If it’s blatantly malicious, then it can very quickly be resolved and the staff member is not affected,” he said.
‘Kiosks didn’t cause the problem’ – advocate
However, People Against Prisons Aotearoa spokesperson, Dr Emmy Rākete, rejected the suggestion that kiosks were behind the rise in allegations.
People Against Prisons Aotearoa spokesperson Emilie Rākete. RNZ / Mabel Muller
“The introduction of digital kiosks has allowed the full extent of this problem to finally be visible for the first time,” she said.
“The kiosks didn’t cause an increase to occur. They’re just letting us get a clearer view at how many people in prison feel that they’ve been sexually violated by Corrections staff.”
Rākete said her organisation’s advocacy work with prisoners meant the figures were “not surprising”.
“It’s broadly in line with what incarcerated people have been telling us … that this is a problem, that this happens and that when it does happen, there are very few avenues to address it.”
Rākete also questioned Corrections’ interpretation of the data, particularly the high number of complaints that were withdrawn or not upheld.
“To point to every complaint that didn’t end in an investigation or charges being placed and say that it was frivolous, that doesn’t really hold a lot of weight with us,” she said.
She said prisoners’ dependence on staff could influence whether complaints proceeded.
“People in prisons are totally dependent on the institution … they are totally vulnerable to people running these institutions.”
Rākete said withdrawals should not be taken at face value.
“If I was raped in prison by a prison guard and I finally had an anonymous means to place that complaint and someone came knocking on my door … I can think of a lot of ways that I could be compelled to withdraw that complaint.”
She called for stronger independent oversight of complaints.
“There needs to be clearer external means of investigating and protecting the rights of incarcerated people.”
Private prison data missing
Corrections noted that the figures did not include Auckland South Corrections Facility, which was operated by Serco New Zealand under a public-private partnership and maintained a separate complaints system.
Rākete said that raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability.
“People have a right not to get raped … the Crown can’t subcontract out work that violates people’s rights to private contractors and wash its hands of the situation.”
She said the public had a right to know how many allegations were being made in privately run prisons.
Rākete said the spike in complaints following the introduction of kiosks should be treated as a warning sign, not dismissed.
“The fact that as soon as Corrections provided a more anonymous means of reporting sexual violence … there was an immediate uptick in reports … should be very concerning.
“That to me indicates that there is a problem here that this new system has made visible for the first time.”
The Department of Corrections was approached for comment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand