Kerre Woodham: Blood on the hands of Kahui family

Two more babies are dead. Two more New Zealand children die from horrific injuries inflicted by the very people supposed to protect them. Cru and Chris Kahui died last weekend as a result of being tortured and killed by somebody or some people within their family.

And the fact that police don't yet know who is responsible is a damning indictment of the family.

This dreadful case is reminiscent of the death of Lillybing, who died in 2002 from her appalling injuries. In Lillybing's case, too, the family closed ranks, and rather than offering up the person responsible, they did all they could to impede the police investigation.

It's incomprehensible to most of us that anyone could choose to damage a child.

They are vulnerable precious beings, utterly dependent on those who brought them into this world to protect and nurture them.

And if I knew of any family where a child was at risk, I would try to help. But I don't know. All the families of my immediate acquaintance with babies cherish them and have dedicated their lives to raising this new generation.

So when community leaders tell us this is a community problem, that New Zealand's appalling child abuse statistics are everybody's shame, I'm sorry. It's not my shame. I can't comprehend the sort of people who would hurt children, and I can't begin to understand people who protect child abusers.

None of these children, whose names we all know, died as a result of one blow. Their lives were hell from the time they were born, and plenty of people knew that these babies were suffering, and suffering dreadfully. And yet no one in the family or whanau protected them.

Delcelia Witika's family were concerned about her welfare - that didn't prevent her dying alone in her cot while her mother was out partying.

James Whakaruru, who finally died at the age of 5, had been beaten by his mother's boyfriend for most of his young life. He had been seen more than 40 times by health professionals and he'd had seven visits to hospital. His wee body could only take so much and eventually he was murdered.

Lillybing Karaitiana Matiaha died from burns and sexual violation just before her second birthday. Her mother had left her in the care of her aunt for long periods of time, despite the fact that the aunt had warned a community worker that she was struggling to cope and was taking out her frustrations on the baby. After Lillybing died in agony, the family closed ranks and it was some time before the aunt was convicted of manslaughter.

Tangaroa Matiu was beaten to death with a fence paling by his stepfather for soiling his pants. His mother was jailed for seven years for manslaughter, the stepfather for life for murder.

The list goes on and on, and this dreadful roll call of the damned will continue. Imagine the children growing up with this violence who survive - who go on to become parents themselves. It's a toxic, desperate cycle that only those with courage and assistance can break.

I don't know what the answers are because I don't understand the problem. And there is no one single reason why children are abused like this. The only suggestion I have is to return to the days of keeping mothers in hospital for a couple of weeks. This has two benefits - it allows mothers to bond with their children free of interruption, and it also allows staff to monitor the mother's relationship with her child.

Except of course that the middle-class luvvies will bitterly resent the return of institutionalisation of child birth and march in the streets to prevent the medical patriarchy controlling the birth process. But that's it really. That's the only suggestion I have. I'm happy to help out, as I'm sure many people are. But I need to know what to do. And really, the answers have to come from the people who are doing the damage.

If you know - even if you suspect - that a family member is hurting their child, dob them in. Otherwise, just like the entire Kahui whanau, the blood of those children is on your hands.