Police say officers who originally investigated child abuse claims in Wairarapa may lose their jobs.
The final report from a two-part inquiry by the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found there were serious delays and mishandling of more than 100 child abuse cases in Wairarapa.
Police were alerted to a backlog of 142 cases in 2006 but nothing happened for two years, while the head of Masterton CIB incorrectly claimed the number of cases had dramatically reduced.
Ron Burrows, whose daughter Coral Burrows was beaten to death in Wairarapa in 2003, says he cannot understand how police could fail to look into abuse claims properly.
He says officers who failed to do their duty have no place in the force.
Conduct still being examined
The head of the Child Protection Implementation Project, Detective Inspector Jim Gallagher, told Morning Report the conduct of the original investigating officers is still being examined.
He says those whose conduct is found to be seriously deficient may lose their jobs.
Police say they have done a nationwide audit of child abuse files and appointed a senior officer to each district to oversee such cases.
Mr Burrows says however that the problem is widespread; he wants five officers in each station dedicated to investigating claims.
