Marae farewell to battered twins in lone white coffin

Mourners waiting in freezing conditions watch as the hearse carrying the twins' bodies backs on to Manurewa Marae. Picture / Greg Bowker

Three-month-old twins Chris and Cru Kahui were carried on to Manurewa Marae yesterday in a single white coffin. The tiny casket arrived just after 3.30pm for the start of what is expected to be a three-day farewell to the baby boys.

Dozens of friends and family waited in freezing conditions for nearly two hours for the arrival of the twins, who died in hospital from multiple injuries and severe brain damage.

Police are still hunting for the person or people responsible for those injuries.

Outside the marae elderly woman picked lengths of ivy from a neighbouring fence and wove it into wreaths which they wore on their heads. One man, dressed in black jeans, gumboots and a leather jacket, briefly played the guitar. A young child played in the grounds.

When it started raining the majority of the large group went inside.

They returned shortly before the hearse and immediate relatives arrived and quietly followed the coffin inside.

Earlier in the day the twins were at home with their 21-year-old father, Chris Kahui, and other whanau members. It is not known if their mother was also there, but she was believed to have attended the start of the tangi.

Mr Kahui's lawyer, Lorraine Smith, said her client was still in shock. "It's so difficult for him to take in what's happened. He's in a state of suspended disbelief."

Ms Smith was with the twins' parents after Cru's life support was turned off and said the image of their grieving would stay with her forever.

"All I can think about is what I saw at Starship on the Saturday ... the grief, the absolute, unrestrained grief. He [Mr Kahui] was holding the baby that had just been taken off life support and he had his arm around the mother and they were just weeping in each other's arms."