Social worker told about punching
The social worker who worked with Moko Rangitoheriri’s sister has come under scrutiny for her conflicting statements to police and to the inquest.
The testimony from former Maori Women’s Refuge social worker Trina Marama was given during the second day of the inquest in Rotorua before Coroner Wallace Bain.
At the time the toddler was killed in Taupo on August 10, 2015, by caregivers Tania Shailer and David Haerewa, there were myriad agencies working near the family but all of them missed the abuse, the inquest heard.
Marama read a written sub- mission with conflicting information, then came under intense cross-examination by Moko’s mother’s lawyer.
Marama in her submission said she assessed Moko’s older sister while she was living with Shailer.
‘‘During the safety part of the programme, she told me about her mother and father and that her father was a ‘bad man’,’’ Marama said. ‘‘She gave me instances of where she witnessed her father hitting her mother and she remembered specific details.
‘‘She also told me aunty [referring to Shailer] would punch her to stop the arguing.’’
Moko’s sister said the punching ‘‘didn’t hurt’’ but during the interview she used the word punch freely and frequently, causing some concern. Marama said she reported the conversation to her manager but it was agreed it was a ‘‘disciplinary measure on Tania’s behalf to stop siblings fighting’’.
Marama was grilled by Moko’s mother’s lawyer, Arama NgapoLipscombe, on that point.
Ngapo-Lipscombe asked why Marama was having trouble sticking to one story, pointing out differences in her comments to police and her written statement to the coroner.
Ngapo-Lipscombe put it to Marama that she knew there was violence in the house. The police report stated she knew Moko’s sister had disclosed Shailer had hit her and Moko.
Marama said that even though she signed each page of the state- ment to police, she did not read it and there could have been errors in it. ‘‘There were many reasons why I had to get out of the police station,’’ she said. ‘‘I had to pick up Moko’s sister from school.’’
Marama said the only violence in the home she was concerned about was between two children and she deemed it sibling rivalry.
Marama said many children fought in the home and if there was a report of concern issued for every case of sibling rivalry, it would not be practical.
‘‘Brothers and sisters fight,’’ she said. ‘‘I would say it’s normal. I don’t say it’s right.’’
Ngapo-Lipscombe said that in the police statement Marama said Moko’s sister told her Shailer punched her to stop her and Moko from fighting. Ngapo-Lipscombe asked if Marama condoned Shailer’s actions, despite it being an offence.
Marama said she did. ‘‘When kids are fighting it’s appropriate to push them away.’’
Marama said Shailer was an ‘‘actress’’ in her interaction with her. On one hand, Shailer was voicing concern Moko would be abused if given back to his mother while at the same time abusing him. Shailer told Marama she was not coping with the additional children, Marama said.
At a meeting with Child Youth and Family, however, they discussed Shailer’s apparent fear of returning the children to Moko’s mother, who was in an Auckland hospital with a sick child.
That was on August 5 and on August 10, the night Moko breathed his last in Taupo Hospital, Marama received a call from a CYFS employee asking her to look after Moko’s sister.
‘‘About 10pm CYFS brought her around to my house and at this stage no-one had any idea that Moko had died.
‘‘That night, Moko’s sister asked me why she was with me and I told her it was because Moko was in the hospital. She told me it was because of his eyes.
‘‘She said: I did the little eye and Tania did the big eye.’’ Marama said it was the first time she had ever been told of any adult abusing Moko and his sister. But paragraphs above that, Marama had mentioned Moko’s sister revealed Shailer would hit her.
Te Whare Oranga Wairua chief executive Mahia Te Tomo also submitted a statement, backing up Marama, saying she had not heard or seen any sign of adult abuse.
When lawyer David Dowthwaite asked Marama if she would do anything differently in hindsight, Marama said she did not think so.