Punched, hit and kicked - assaults on social workers on the rise

There were 39 physical assaults on Oranga Tamariki social workers in the year to June, but the Ministry for Children suspects some assaults are going unreported. The attacks have included punching, hitting and kicking, and since the controversy about the removal of babies from their whanau, social workers say they've been subjected to even more abuse. Our social issues reporter, Sarah Robson, spoke to Oranga Tamariki's deputy chief executive Alison McDonald about the figures.