Four-year-old's killer freed

James Whakaruru. Photo / Supplied

The killer of four-year-old James Whakaruru has been released from prison, despite multiple Parole Board reports claiming he remains violent and dangerous.

Ben Haerewa, 32, was convicted of manslaughter in 1999 after brutally beating James for several years, eventually killing him in an attack that lasted two days.

He was released from prison today after serving his entire 12 year sentence.

New Zealand Parole Board reports say his release is very worrying, given Mr Haewera's violent history and capacity to offend again.

The board's latest report from October says Haewera's psychological assessments show he is still a high risk offender.

"We are very concerned about Haerewa's future in the community. His psychological assessment is worrying. He is a high risk offender. He is an [withheld]. He is a serious violent offender and in terms of the risk to the community there are grave fears."

The report says James' family are worried about Haewera's release, but accept there is nothing they can do to prevent it.

Another report from June 2009 shows Haewera saying he will use alcohol and drugs upon his release, despite substance abuse being involved in his past outbursts of "significant violence".

Community Probation Services manager Katrina Casey said Haewera had been placed under strict parole conditions.

Those include orders not to associate with children under 16, not to associate with gangs, not to take any work without prior consent from a Probation Officer and to take regular drug, alcohol and psychological assessments and to stay away from the city of Christchurch.

Any breach of those release conditions could be punished by a 12-month prison sentence, she said.

She would not say which area Haewera had been paroled to, as she said that could prejudice his reintegration into the community.

"Every effort is made by the Department to consider the suitability of any violent offender's proposed address in order to limit the risk of the offender re-offending and the risk of harm to any potential victims."

Police and Child, Youth and Family would work together with Community Probation Services to share information about high risk offenders such as Mr Haewera, she said.

Haewera was first jailed for nine months for assaulting James when he was two.

Despite that, he was able to return to the house of James' mother Te Rangi Whakaruru.

There he brutally beat James over several years, giving him injuries including a seriously cut penis that required an emergency circumcision, bruising to his forehead, jaw, neck, head, scrotum, feet, arms and shins.