KEY POINTS:
A gate that fell on a toddler, crushing him to death, had been altered and was probably faulty, West Auckland police said today.
Three-year-old Louis Schmidt-Peke was struck by the metal gate after it came off its rails at Hoani Waititi Marae in Glen Eden last June.
People who saw the accident rushed to the boy's aid and emergency services were called but could do nothing to help.
At the time, Louis' Aunt told the Herald on Sunday kohanga staff had complained about the safety of the gate in the days leading up to the tragedy.
Detective Sergeant Peter Litherland today said evidence suggested the gate "was in a defective state" at the time of the accident.
He said significant structural alterations had been made to the gate that in his view "contributed in a significant way" to Louis' death.
The gates may have been altered from their original design before their installation in April 2006, he said.
Detective Sergeant Litherland asked anyone with information on the gates and their alteration or photos of them taken around the time of their installation to contact police.
- NZHERALD STAFF
