Freedom decision terrifies mother

A mother has asked for special protection for her new child because the killer of her 4-year-old son is about to be released from prison.

Benny Haerewa, 32, was jailed for 12 years in August 1999 after being found guilty of the manslaughter of Te Rangi Whakaruru's son James.

He will spend Christmas a free man - despite "grave fears" he will reoffend.

James had endured years of brutal beatings at the hands of his mother's partner.

His injuries included a cut penis and bruising to his forehead, jaw, neck, head, scrotum, feet, arms and shins.

The Parole Board has ruled that Haerewa must, by law, be released on December 20 having served nearly his full sentence.

But it warned he was likely to reoffend.

"He is a serious violent offender and in terms of the risk to the community there are grave fears," the board's decision said. "His psychological assessment is worrying."

Haerewa's cousin, Izanna Haerewa, who was 11 when he was sentenced, said the family had scattered and lost track of one another since the case.

She knew about the crime only in passing - but was surprised to hear her cousin would be getting out of jail.

The Parole Board said James' family were "troubled" by his release but accepted it was inevitable.

They asked that as a condition of his release, Haerewa be prohibited from going to the city where Ms Whakaruru, now lives.

A distant cousin, Denise Ferris, said it was scary to think Haerewa would be freed.

"[Ms Whakaruru] just had a child too early. She didn't have the capacity of knowing she had other options."

She had become a mother again in the intervening years.

It was revealed after the trial that abuse had run in the Whakaruru family for generations.

One member, Rangi Whakaruru, admitted abusing his stepdaughter after he appeared with ex-All Black Michael Jones on an anti-abuse television campaign.

Mr Whakaruru has since become the Maori King's chief of staff. He did not return Herald calls yesterday.

Haerewa was convicted of assaulting James two years before the attack that finally killed him, and the boy was seen by many different doctors.

But an inquiry revealed that many social workers failed to act.

One urologist concluded James "had been up to no good" when he was admitted with his penis so badly cut he needed an emergency circumcision.

The board attached 11 conditions to Haerewa's release, including drug, alcohol and psychological assessments, keeping away from gangs and having no contact with anyone under 16.

- Staff reporter