Baby Ru homicide ‘person of interest’ Rosie Morunga allegedly involved in attack on journalist

Rosie Morunga is charged with theft, assault, and taking a document for pecuniary advantage.

A woman who is a person of interest in relation to the killing of toddler Baby Ru is facing charges after an alleged attack on a journalist, it can be revealed.

Rosie Morunga, 25, is before the court over an incident outside a Wellington courthouse last year.

On October 22, Ruthless-Empire Souljah Reign Rhind Shephard Wall died after arriving at Hutt Hospital unresponsive with severe head injuries.

The toddler, now known as Nga Reo Te Huatahi Reremoana Ahipene-Wall, was living at a home in the Lower Hutt suburb of Taitā where Rosie Morunga also resided.

Morunga and the two others living in the house are all persons of interest in that case. No one has been charged over Baby Ru’s death.

In late November, after an unrelated hearing at a Wellington courthouse, Morunga, a 48-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man were involved in an incident with a journalist from NZME.

Morunga is charged with theft, assault, and taking a document for pecuniary advantage. The man allegedly took a document for pecuniary advantage and is also charged with theft, and the 48-year-old woman faces an assault charge.

All three have pleaded not guilty.

During a court hearing in February, Morunga’s defence lawyer Paul Knowsley argued for name suppression to continue to protect fair trial rights should charges be laid after the death of Baby Ru.

The police prosecutor pointed out ‘there is no trial’ set for that homicide investigation as nobody has been charged. He said at this stage there is no finite end to their investigation.

Morunga and her co-accused re-appeared in court on February 29, when Judge Brett Crowley said there was no basis for her name suppression to continue.

Knowsley indicated that decision would be appealed, meaning an interim order remained in place to allow an appeal to be filed.

The High Court this week confirmed no appeal had been lodged within the required timeframe of 20 working days, meaning suppression has now lapsed.

Name suppression remains in place for the man and woman also charged.

It was alleged the reporter, who works for NZME, was attacked while questioning one of the defendants.

It was alleged the reporter’s phones and credit card were stolen during the clash, with the card later used to buy hundreds of dollars’ worth of alcohol.

Morunga is due back in court in May.

Sam Sherwood is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers crime. He is a senior journalist who joined the Herald in 2022, and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.