Boy, 13, suffers cracked skull at drama course

A 13-year-old boy suffered a cracked skull after a fight at a Child, Youth and Family drama course in central Wellington.

Police were called to Te Rakau Hua O Te Wao Tapu Trust's drama workshop in Adelaide Rd on Friday after a scuffle between CYF children in its care resulted in a boy being taken to hospital.

The drama course for troubled children is run by veteran actor and director Jim Moriarty. It uses publicly performed plays and psycho-therapeutic theatre to help them work through personal problems and rebuild their lives.

Trust services director Aperira Manuarika Hohepa-Smale was at the school when she heard yelling after 5.30pm on Friday.

A group of boys were waiting for their pocket money to be handed out in an upstairs room when a 13-year-old jumped on the back of a bigger boy, also 13, wrapping an arm around his neck, Ms Hohepa-Smale said.

She understood the bigger boy threw the other off but then went running into a third boy, 15. In the ensuing struggle the bigger 13- year-old fell to the ground, hitting his head on the concrete floor and fracturing the base of his skull.

"We have little pockets that erupt like that, it's not unusual for boys of that age. They're bits of burgeoning testosterone and not everyone likes each other," she said. "These kids don't come to us for toothache. We deal with boys who have highly complex needs and issues ... we can't afford to take our eyes off them for a minute."

The injured boy was woozy and an ambulance was called immediately, and police and CYF notified. He was in a stable condition in Wellington Hospital yesterday.

Moriarty said the boys often came from backgrounds where violence was the norm and the course was trying to give them alternatives. Fights were rare but they did happen, he said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Perry said the incident had been referred to Youth Aid, which had yet to decide if charges would be laid.

CYF general manager John Henderson confirmed a young person had been assaulted but would not comment further.

The government agency would speak to the trust about events leading up to the assault. "It is really disappointing when young people in our care act violently towards one another in this way.

"It is particularly distressing for those running these courses who are working hard to give these young people the opportunity to turn their lives around."

The trust houses and educates 11 CYF boys aged from 12 to 16. It has a non-violence policy and strict code of behaviour.

- © Fairfax NZ News