Mother urges kidnapper to release Kahurautete

2.30pm - by PAULA OLIVER

A composed Donna Hall this morning pleaded with the man who kidnapped her eight-month-old daughter 'Kahu' to return her unharmed.

The voice of Ms Hall, a prominent Maori lawyer, quavered only once as she made the impassioned plea at a packed press conference.

Baby Kahurautete Durie was snatched at gunpoint from her pushchair in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon. Police have not had any contact from the man who abducted her.

Staring into a wall of cameras, Ms Hall today said the man who had put a rifle to her niece's head told them he would shoot them if they did not do what he wanted.

"You know who you are and you know me," she said. Ms Hall said she did not believe the man, who was very angry and aggressive, was now caring for Kahu. Someone else was more than likely helping him.

Kahu's father, High Court Justice Eddie Durie, was distraught and wanted to stay at home while Ms Hall addressed the conference.

Kahu was adopted by the high-profile pair shortly after birth. They had lost a child after a seven and a half month pregnancy to spina bifida. Ms Hall's sister was the natural mother of Kahu.

"She can't talk, she can't walk, and is not yet crawling, but I think she is likely to crawl in the next week."

Ms Hall said she did not recognise the man who took her child. She emphasised that because Kahu could not talk, the man was not at risk of being identified if he left her at a public place like a church.

Ms Hall arrived at the press conference with a basket of food and hygiene items that she used to take care of Kahu. Detailing the routine that her baby was used to, Ms Hall picked up a box of Weetbix and infant formula and displayed the size of the spoon she used to measure the meal, in hopes the kidnapper would take proper care of the infant.

She said she had not been able to get much sleep since her daughter was taken.

"My fear is that she is somewhere cold," she said. "That she has been abandoned somewhere."

Ms Hall said it could not be discounted that her job, or her husband's job, were potential motives for the kidnapping. When asked if she had received threats in the past, Ms Hall said she had.

Transcript: Donna Hall's statement

Full coverage: Baby Kahurautete kidnapping

Picture: Kahurautete Durie

Picture: Kahurautete's clothing

Picture: the car being sought by police

Map

Police hotline: 0800 150 499
(Ring this number if you have information that could assist police)