Chris Kahui allowed to live with baby daughter

Chris Kahui was found not guilty of the murders of his twin sons, Chris and Cru. File photo / Janna Dixon

Two years after being found not guilty of murdering his twin babies, Chris Kahui has been given a green light by the Family Court to move in with his 1-year-old daughter.

Child, Youth and Family said the Family Court had endorsed a plan that would let Mr Kahui, 25, live with his daughter, Carla, and partner Marcia Ngapera, who he met after his twins' death.

Mr Kahui was expected to move in last week to Ms Ngapera's house, where her parents, Tom and Margaret Ngapera, also live. Mr Ngapera is Mr Kahui's pastor.

Previously, Mr Kahui had only been allowed to see Carla between 10am and 10pm under family supervision.

It is four years since Mr Kahui last lived with his children, at a Manurewa house: Shayne, who was taken away and now lives with maternal relatives Henare and Tawera Tahuri in Gisborne, and the twins, Chris and Cru.

In June 2006, the twins died from brain injuries after a week-long battle to survive in hospital.

Based on circumstantial evidence, police claimed Mr Kahui was the only one who could have been with the babies when they were fatally bashed. However, the court found him not guilty.

In his new Panmure home, Mr Kahui is still barred from being alone with Carla. Even when living in the same house, he must have family supervision when they are together.

CYF staff will also check in twice a week to make sure the restrictions are followed.

CYF deputy chief executive Ray Smith said Tom and Margaret Ngapera had been crucial in creating a safe environment where Mr Kahui and Carla could be together.

"Given Chris Kahui's history, we continue to take this child's safety extremely seriously. We've worked closely with the family for the past 14 months to ensure she is well cared for and protected," Mr Smith said.

Mr Ngapera said on Monday that protecting Carla was the most important thing and he would talk it over with Mr Kahui whether they would speak publicly.

He has not returned phone calls since.

Mr Kahui's lawyer, Lorraine Smith, said the move was proof Mr Kahui had co-operated with CYF and gained their trust.

CYF staff sat by Ms Ngapera's bedside as she was giving birth to Carla in November 2008, grilling her about how to protect the child.

But it was ludicrous to consider Mr Kahui's new home "abusive", Ms Smith said. "Marcia is the most gentle thing."

It is a stark contrast to Mr Kahui's last stint at fatherhood, in a house that became notorious - a cautionary tale - for child abuse.

Mr Kahui lived there with then-partner Macsyna King, whom his lawyers painted as violent and the true culprit of the baby's murders. They met when Mr Kahui was only 19; Ms King was 27. Many others - including Mr Kahui's father - drifted in and out of the house, supposedly with liquor and drugs.

The household was said to have stonewalled police during its investigations, drawing sharp public rebuke.

That public anger focused on Mr Kahui once charges were laid - on someone who has been generally described as a gentle, quiet man.

Mr Kahui broke up with Ms King and was mentored by Mr Ngapera as he spent two years in and out of jail awaiting trial.

He met Ms Ngapera during that time, and she supported him through his trial, shedding a tear at his not guilty verdict on May 22, 2008.

No one else has been charged for the twins' murder, and last month a broader inquest into the twins' death was postponed.

A $25,000 bounty has also been put forward by advocacy group Family First to find answers to the deaths.

"Somebody within the family knows what happened and who was responsible. It's time they cleared their conscience, came forward with the truth, and got a decent night's sleep for the first time in four years," said national director Bob McCoskrie.