Murder charge

The father of a 5-year-old Rotorua boy has been charged with his murder. Additional charges were laid against the boy’s father, William James Jason Sio, 24, yesterday. Sio was previously charged with assaulting his son, Ferro-James Tiopira Sio, 5, after he died in Rotorua Hospital on February 8. A

28-year-old woman has also been charged with ill treatment/neglect of a child. Both are due to appear in Rotorua District Court on Thursday, February 27. Neighbours had earlier told Stuff of seeing a large bruise on the child’s head before he died. Ferro-James’ death brings the number of child homicide victims (aged

0-14) in New Zealand to 138 since the beginning of 2004, an average of nine per year.