Sex charges dropped against trainee social worker in Hastings

Friday, 11 October 2019

A trainee social worker has walked free after the Crown dropped sex charges against her. 

Hastings woman Amanda Tatam, 30, appeared in the Napier District Court before Judge Geoff Rea on Friday afternoon.

She originally faced charges including sexual conduct with a boy aged under 16, threatening to cause grievous bodily harm to the boy and his father, and a representative charge of supplying cannabis.

**READ MORE:

* Trial begins for man charged with 13 years of physical, sexual abuse of woman, children

* Trial of social worker accused of having sex with teen in her care ends in mistrial

* Social worker accused of having sex with teen in her care says he raped her**

But all charges were dropped as the Crown could offer no evidence to support the alleged offending, which is thought to have occurred between July, 2015 and February, 2017. 

'You're free to go,' Judge Rea said to a silent Tatam. 

The woman went on trial in Napier District Court in 2018, but on the second day, it came to a sudden halt after Judge Tony Adeane told jurors that legal and technical matters had come to the court's attention, which meant he had to declare it a mistrial.

Tatam was a student social worker on a short-term student placement with Child Youth and Family, now known as Oranga Tamariki, when she allegedly had sexual connection with the boy.

She denied all allegations and claimed the boy had raped her.

Grant Bennett, Oranga Tamariki regional manager, Wellington East Coast, said between July and November in  2016 Tatam was a student social worker on a four-month student placement with CYF.

She was subject to the appropriate vetting checks of the time.