KEY POINTS:
When questioned by police, Tiana Kapea described her own children as "butterflies" and said she was unable to explain the disparity between her feelings for them and the baby she killed.
The closest the 30-year-old has come to an explanation is that she found Jyniah Te Awa difficult to care for. Questions were asked about how Jyniah's own parents failed to notice such injuries whenever she stayed with Kapea, but it seems the trusted caregiver always had an excuse at the ready.
Police also point out that children do get bumps, bruises and illnesses from time to time and when you trust the person caring for your child there is little reason to doubt their explanations for such injuries.
Some of Jyniah's older injuries, like a small bruise on her head, had been explained as the result of a "near-miss" car accident during which she had allegedly been thrown from her seat.
On other occasions illnesses such as gastroenteritis were to blame for her being unwell.
One day when Jyniah was rushed off for medical help after turning blue, mystified doctors were at a loss to explain why she was so cold or why she suddenly regained her colour after being fed by her mother.
It appears no one, including the doctors, ever raised child abuse as a reason for her frequent visits. No one ever thought a caregiver would leave a child in the freezer.
