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Probation officer stabbed in head and chest in Whanganui, New Zealand
A probation officer in Whanganui, New Zealand, was stabbed in the head and chest by a man he was meeting with on April 9, 2025. The Public Service Association is raising concerns about the safety of Community Corrections staff.
A probation officer was stabbed multiple times during an appointment at Community Corrections in Whanganui on April 9, 2025. According to court documents released to NZME, the man, Broughton, was serving a sentence of intensive supervision for firearms and offensive weapons offences. The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA), a Corrections staff union, stated that probation officers' work is inherently dangerous, but they are not given the basic protections, training, or resources needed to keep them safe. The PSA is concerned that Corrections has largely failed to act on the union's safety recommendations, despite the near-fatal attack. Corrections stated that a review of the incident, and a wider review, identified what more it could do to provide safe work environments for Community Corrections staff, and it is implementing safety enhancements. Corrections also noted that assaults on staff were rare and the risk of violence could not be eliminated entirely.
Key Facts
- On April 9, 2025, a probation officer was stabbed in the head and chest in Whanganui.
- The offender, Broughton, was serving a sentence for firearms and offensive weapons offences.
- Broughton became enraged because the officer would not let him sign a document and keep a copy.
- Broughton stabbed the officer after the officer turned and was distracted with paperwork.
- The officer was stabbed four times in the chest during a scuffle.
- The PSA says probation officers lack basic protections, training, and resources.
- Corrections says it is implementing safety enhancements, but violence cannot be eliminated.
- Corrections does not have the authority to use metal detectors or conduct body searches at its community sites.