Tot died in ‘campaign of violence’
"These other 2kids r doing my head in". Text message from Tania Shailer
An inquest into the death of Moko Rangitoheriri has started with the coroner calling one of the nation’s previous worst child abuse deaths that of Nia Glassie - ‘‘kindergarten’’ compared with what Moko endured.
At the opening session of the inquest in Rotorua on Wednesday into Moko’s death, lawyer David Dowthwaite, who also assisted the coroner’s court at the inquest into Glassie’s 2007 death at the hands of carers, read out the summary of facts. It detailed how 3-year-old Moko was kicked, punched, bitten and stomped in a ‘‘campaign of violence’’ before his death in August 2015.
Coroner Wallace Bain said the document made for difficult reading. ‘‘It appears Nia Glassie, what she went through, was kindergarten to what we have just read out.’’
While Moko’s killers, David Haerewa and Tania Shailer, have both been sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment, the inquest is investigating the circumstances around Moko’s death in an attempt to identify recommendations from the tragedy.
Moko’s mother Nicola Dallypaki had left her two children with Shailer after she had to go to Starship Hospital to tend to another sick child.
The first of eight witnesses, Detective Inspector Lewis Warner who was officer in charge of Moko’s case, revealed text messages from Shailer saying she was not coping with caring for her children as well as Moko and his sister.
Warner tabled a report of concern produced by social worker Selina Moore in connection to Dally-paki’s sick child. The report was created because of noncompliance with medical treatment needed to care for her sick child.
It is understood her child broke his leg after falling out of a tree but a sepsis infection occurred due to not administering medicine for at least three days.
‘‘Mum provided different reasons for non-compliance however her behaviour and actions demonstrated medical neglect,’’ the report said.
The report found, ‘‘ongoing and cumulative medical harm and neglect. Non-compliance with medical appointments resulting in non-compliance with drug treatment (Clexane). Resulting in admission to Starship with a bad infection to his wound under the cast. The result of this is child needing a four-month inpatient admission to Starship Hospital to ensure he gets appropriate medical care.’’
Dally-paki had initially taken her other children to Starship Hospital with her and was sometimes staying on the floor of the hospital. It was this reason that led to her leaving Moko with Shailer.
On June 16 Shailer messaged Dally-paki saying, ‘‘uve gt 2 remember I have 4kids n we already live week to week sis...n I no uve got so much on ur plate at the Mo bu so do we bro!’’
She also sent messages to friends saying her depression was kicking in badly and ‘‘these other 2kids r doing my head in’’.
It is unsure when the violence began towards Moko but it is understood the violence began to escalate quickly near the end of his death.
Statements from Shine, an organisation that assists those suffering family violence, were read out to the inquest.
Shine revealed a series of situations that led to Moko being left in the hands of his killers.
While staying at Starship Hospital with her children Ronald Mcdonald House approved an application for Moko’s mother, Nicola Dally-paki to stay. ‘‘This got declined at a later point due to Nicola’s address changing in the system,’’ the report said.
‘‘The address would state she was residing in Auckland but in reality, the only place she was residing was in Starship along with the children.’’
Shine said there was likely a breakdown of communication as Dally-paki assumed her application was declined due to the violence history and gang affiliations.
While Dally-paki wanted to have her children with her, it was not suitable to have them on the ward.
The children were sent to Tania after Dally-paki was told they could no longer stay on the ward. She contacted Shailer as they used to work at a kohanga reo together.