Health sector could reduce child abuse, Kahui inquest told

Chris and Cru Kahui died of massive head injuries in June 2006. Photo / Supplied

The most effective way to reduce the "shameful" child abuse rate would be to increase the engagement of the health sector, an inquest into the deaths of the Kahui twins has been told.

The coroner's inquest resumed in the Auckland District Court today. It has now shifted away from the deaths of three-month-old Chris and Kru Kahui and will for the next two weeks be looking at the wider issue of child abuse in New Zealand.

Children's Commissioner John Angus presented the coroner with a report which said there were "shortfalls" in quality of social work done with the Kahui family prior to the babies' deaths from deliberately inflicted head injuries in June 2006.

No one was in a strong enough position to draw conclusions about how their deaths could have been avoided, but there were three areas which fell short of best practice, he said.

First, all the information available to social services about the family was not pulled together before the babies were allowed to go and live with their parents. If it had, he said, it could have led to a referral to Child, Youth and Family which "may have changed the dynamic in the household".

Second, a focus was put on supporting the babies' mother and playing to her strengths - a practice which can diminish the focus on children, their welfare and the risks they face, he said.

A third shortfall was inadequate professional supervision for those working with the family.

However, the work done with the family was "at the very least adequate" and in line with policy and procedures, he said.

"It is very difficult to predict on an individual basis when child maltreatment will appear, in particular gross physical abuse. But the rate of deaths from maltreatment of children in New Zealand is shameful," he said.

Mr Angus supported the view that the most important change that could be made to strengthening child protection services would be to increase the engagement of the health sector.

This would mean more involvement by maternal and infant health services, PHOs, clinicians and other health services with children at risk of child abuse.

Coroner Garry Evans pondered making a recommendation to the Government that health professionals become legally obliged to report any evidence of child abuse.

Only 1 per cent of child abuse cases were reported by general practitioners when they, along with other health professionals, should be "field workers" for child protection, he said.

Chris Kahui, was found not guilty of murder charges at a 2008 High Court trial, at which his lawyers accused the twins' mother, Macsyna King, of killing them.

- NZPA