Maori need to work together and develop ways to better protect their children, a Northland iwi leader says.
Te Runanga o Te Rarawa leader Haami Piripi's comments follow Thursday's sentencing of James Parker for child sex offences. The former deputy principal of Pamapuria School was sentenced to preventive detention, with a non-parole period of seven years.
The 38-year-old had admitted 74 charges involving 20 boys between 1999 and 2012.
Mr Piripi says there has been an increase in social resources to help deal with the effect of Parker's offending.
But he says it's not enough and Maori also need to work on ways of safeguarding their children, so that there is never a repeat of the situation.
