Heartbreaking

Sunday July 1, 02:10 PM
Arrest pleases police
Police in Lower Hutt are happy at the quick arrest of a woman charged with murdering a newborn baby, but say cases involving infant deaths are never easy to deal with. The baby was found dead in the backyard of a Te Mome Road property in Alicetown on Friday.

Detective Inspector Shane Cotter says investigating child deaths will always be particularly distressing for police. He says dealing with these sorts of cases is very traumatic for everyone concerned, and it is standard procedure to offer counselling to officers.


A 28 year-old woman will appear in the Lower Hutt District Court tomorrow.

This case - the second infant death this weekend - has prompted Children's Commissioner Dr Cindy Kiro says everyone in New Zealand needs to take responsibility for what is happening to infants in families where violence against children is tolerated. She says it is time we took a long hard look at why we are allowing dangerous and clueless parents to run rampant.

Dr Kiro says families where violence against children has been tolerated need to know it is clearly not acceptable. And she says people need to encourage other family members as well as friends to step in when they see abuse, and help put a stop to it.

Dr Kiro says it is time New Zealanders looked honestly at what is going on in a country that allows this sort of thing to happen. She says the truth is there are many dangerous and clueless families out there in dire need of support and education. She says child neglect is another area which does not get as much attention but is just as lethal and far more common. She says families need support, education and above all need to know they will be held accountable for the way they treat their kids. She says we need a massive public awareness campaign directed against child abuse.

Its awful , we were in the car when it was on the news. I said to DH whats so wrong with wrapping the baby up and dumping on someones door step, knocking on the and running off??? I mean at least the baby has a chance...
Theres no excuse!

I don't get it - if she really didn't want the baby, why not just give it up for adoption? It's too cruel for words - and def unforgivable! It's the worst kind of murder in my book - to kill your own child

this just makes me sick and angry!!!! that poor wee soul

Mmmmm. These statements make me sad.

"She says it is time we took a long hard look at why we are allowing dangerous and clueless parents to run rampant."

"She says families need support, education and above all need to know they will be held accountable for the way they treat their kids. She says we need a massive public awareness campaign directed against child abuse."

On one hand she says the families need support and stuff. On the other hand she's telling us that our neighbors are gonna dob you in if they think you're "abusing" your kids. The way she says "accountable" sounds like a threat the way she's put it.

Hands up, who wants a police state of New Zealand?
Yes this case is a tragedy. Yes the mum needs help. But No. I don't think a public campaign against abuse is gonna help anything. Especially a strong, pushing "THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO" kind of campaign, which is what it sounds like Dr Cindy Kiro wants.

Just another example of the government trying to tell us how to live. That's why it makes me sad.



Edited by Chovynz

What is happening to this country? Every week there are cases of parents killing their children through abuse and neglect. There is something seriously wrong with our society if this sort of behaviour is able to flourish.

"The baby was found dead in the backyard of a Te Mome Road property in Alicetown on Friday." - What about adoption? I saw something on the news or breakfast or something a wee while ago saying NZ has one of the lowest adoption rates in the OECD. Why aren't people made more aware of this option? It's better than "hating" your child and making it's life hell becasue you wish you had never had it.