Serious baby injuries an ‘avoidable tragedy’
The family dynamics at a Tauranga house where a baby boy suffered serious injuries were a ‘‘ticking time bomb’’, a source says.
A three-week-old baby was flown from Tauranga to Starship Hospital on December 30 with what police describe as serious non-accidental injuries.
A source close to the baby’s family, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the incident was an avoidable tragedy.
‘‘I described things as a ticking time bomb and then, just a week later, the baby gets taken to hospital with serious injuries,’’ the man said.
He described the baby’s parents as a young couple in their 20s. The couple, who also have a toddler, moved into an Arawata Ave rental, in the Tauranga suburb of Welcome Bay, six months ago.
‘‘Since that time, police have been called to that address numerous times for everything from domestic arguments to people doing burnouts on the street,’’ the man said. ‘‘People are always coming and going from their house at all hours of the night and there have been fights on the street between people visiting the house.’’ No one was at the address when Stuff visited on Saturday. Tyre marks were visible on the road outside the house. The house, which is on the corner of Arawata Ave and Dingadee Street, is surrounded by a mixture of rental properties as well as neatly maintained houses. The source said drinking parties at some properties lasted for days and could get rowdy.
A police spokesperson said inquiries into the baby’s injuries are ongoing.
Speaking earlier, Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner, of Tauranga CIB, said the baby was seriously hurt, and on life support. An Auckland DHB spokesperson declined to provide an update on the boy’s condition.
A team of 13 police investigators are working on the case but are yet to fully determine the circumstances surrounding the boy’s injuries, Turner said. He confirmed the baby’s injuries were non-accidental.
The source said the first he knew of the incident was when he saw a police scene guard at the house on December 30.
‘‘The next morning, a police forensic team arrived at the house. That’s when we realised something was up. I know there had been a lot of arguing at the house around that time.’’