Couple arrested over baby's death

Police have charged an Upper Hutt couple over the death of a seven-month-old baby girl.

Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Cotter, of Wellington police, said today Otaki staff were alerted to the death after the baby's mother and her boyfriend brought the child to the Otaki Medical Centre yesterday morning.

However the badly bruised baby was already dead.

Police launched a homicide investigation yesterday at 11.30am and as a result charged the 32-year-old man with murder, and the baby's 20-year-old mother with failing to provide the necessities of life, Mr Cotter said in a statement.

The couple will appear in Levin District Court tomorrow afternoon.

Police have not yet named the dead baby.

A post-mortem examination was taking place today at Wellington Hospital to accurately gauge how and when the baby had died, but a police spokeswoman told NZPA it was unlikely police would release those details publicly once it was completed.

She said it was unclear where the baby had died.

Mr Cotter said police were continuing inquiries in the Upper Hutt area into the couple's background.

The baby's death follows the fatal stabbing of two children in Otaki in February this year.

Otaki Beach man Bronson O'Carroll, 30, killed himself (Eds: publication of suicide okayed by coroner) on February 2, after fatally stabbing his two children TeHau TeHoro O'Carroll, 10, and two-year-old Ngamata O'Carroll.

- NZPA