Poisoned family to get remaining $60,000 donation

The children of the Putaruru mother, father and grandma poisoned after eating wild boar and left temporarily paralysed will be given $60,000 retained by a church after a fundraising drive.

Naveen Eapechan, a spokesman for the St Thomas Marthoma Church of New Zealand, said the church had decided to put the funds in a term deposit for the couple’s two children.

“Part of the fundraising was for the kids as well and it was said the kids could potentially be orphaned . . . so we thought it was just appropriate that we put it in a trust fund for the kids to benefit them long term.” The decision was made after the

revealed Shibu Kochummen, 36, his 65-year-old mother, Alekutty Daniel, and his wife, Subi Babu, 34, had received only $42,520 of the $102,764 raised for them.

The three adults were hospitalised in November when they started vomiting, having convulsions and were paralysed after eating wild boar.

The church raised money on their behalf with $30,000 raised through a Givealittle page and $70,000 after a separate parish-led fundraising initiative.

The fundraising stopped in January, but six months later $60,000 has not been released. The church paid $42,500 in January so the family could travel to India to collect their two young children, aged 7 and 1, who were being cared for by relatives.

Eapechan said after the family recovered and ACC agreed to cover their costs, the church considered returning it to the people who donated it or giving it to another organisation such as St John.

The church decided at the weekend to put into an account for the children. “We haven’t used even a dollar.”