Historic sentencing: Eastern Bay of Plenty parents fined $1500 each after teenagers absent from school rolls for years

Home / New ZealandUpdatedBrianna McIlraithOpen Justice Reporter·NZ Herald·6 Oct, 2026 12:00 AM4 mins to read‌Hannah Bartlett from the Open Justice team explains to Jane Yee on Case by Case how sentencing works in New Zealand and what judges take into account when handing sentences down.A couple prosecuted after failing to send their children to school have given no explanation and declined to comment when they appeared in court. The Eastern Bay of Plenty couple are the first parents prosecuted under new legislation targeting truancy after they failed to ensure their two teenagers attended school AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.