Adults may face court after boy critically hurts baby

Police will consider if other family members should face charges for negligence after a 13-year-old boy shook a crying baby, leaving her critically injured.

The 7-month-old girl was being watched by the boy when the shaking incident occurred on Tuesday night. The baby's parents were elsewhere on the same Invercargill property.

Child, Youth and Family, which has taken the boy and other children into care, said yesterday that the family involved were known to it. The 13-year-old admitted to police that he shook the baby, but is too young to be charged with a crime unless she dies.

The baby was in Starship hospital yesterday in a critical condition, but Detective Sergeant Mark McCloy said doctors were happy with how she came through surgery and were confident she would survive.

The long-term effects of her injuries, and the severity of them, might not be clear for many years, Mr McCloy said.

The parents are at the hospital and would not be questioned while facing such "intense pressure".

But Mr McCloy said that in time, police would consider whether any adults with responsibility for the child had been negligent.

Child, Youth and Family head Ray Smith said the 13-year-old was a "very distressed young man".

"This is a very sad situation for all involved, and we are working closely with the family and the police to establish exactly what has happened."