Auckland prisoner rushed to hospital after 'serious assault' by fellow inmate

  • 06/01/2022

An Auckland prisoner has been segregated from his peers and could face criminal charges after beating a fellow inmate so severely he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance.

Police and Corrections have both launched investigations into the attack and on Thursday were on site at the high-security Auckland Prison in Paremoremo on the North Shore.

John Small, director of Auckland Prison, said staff immediately intervened to secure the attacker and provide first aid to the victim.

"An ambulance was called and the victim was transferred to hospital to receive further medical treatment," Small told Newshub.

The perpetrator has since been placed on directed segregation and he could now face criminal charges.

"Police were called immediately and are on site and investigating," Small said.

"Corrections will also carry out a full investigation and will ensure all evidence, including CCTV footage, is provided to police. As with all serious incidents, the independent Office of the Inspectorate has also been informed."

Small says violence in prison is not tolerated and vows to hold anyone who resorts to physical attacks to account.

He says staff are working to ensure they provide "the safest environment possible" for employees and prisoners.

"Our staff manage some of New Zealand's most dangerous people in a complex and challenging environment. Over 75 percent of the prison population have convictions for violence in their offending histories," he said.

The incident comes just months after Newshub revealed attacks on prison staff are on the rise, with 907 such assaults in the past financial year.

That was up on the previous year and almost double the 463 in 2016/17. In total, officers have been assaulted 3482 times since, with documents obtained by Newshub showing gangs are behind 77 percent of those assaults.

Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis says Corrections and the unions are working on a violence and aggression plan to reduce the numbers of assaults and keep officers safe.