Neighbour of abused Lower Hutt children noticed girl cradling injured arm in February

A former neighbour of two children discovered with “horrific” injuries in Lower Hutt has described seeing the younger child upset and cradling an injured arm while out for a walk.

Police last week revealed details about the shocking abuse, which left the 4 and 5-year-old children with injuries including brain bleeds, lacerations and multiple broken bones. Both had to be hospitalised and the older child required surgery.

The severe wounds were discovered on March 8 after an ambulance was called for one of the children.

Concerned hospital staff had alerted officers to a potential family harm incident at the Stokes Valley property after the older child suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital.

A medical assessment of the child and their sibling revealed further injuries believed to have been suffered in previous incidents.

The children were only discharged from hospital on Friday last week, and were also formally interviewed by police on that day.

The neighbour, who the Herald has agreed not to name, said she would see the mother and two children nearly every day as they walked past her house in the suburb of Waterloo. She did not live close enough to hear or see much amiss, but said after news of the children’s severe injuries broke, other neighbours shared stories of what they had heard or seen.

The neighbour said the children, a boy and girl, seemed like “happy” kids.

“Never in my life would I have suspected that those poor babies were being hurt like that,” she said.

“They seemed happy enough - only [in February], I saw that the little girl had a sore arm, and I told the mum to wrap it in a homemade sling ‘til she took her to the doctor.”

She could not remember the exact date, but said she was walking to her car when she noticed the girl was “upset”.

She “didn’t want to walk anymore because her arm was hurting, she was holding it”. That was why she advised the mother to put a sling on the girl.

“I do remember thinking [about] where the boy was, because they’re all normally together.

“I’m heartbroken for these poor babies. I’ve been going over and over it in my head - I just had no idea ‘til I saw it on social media, and then [spoke] to the other neighbours.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Rebecca Cotton speaks to media about Operation Tempo. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

The neighbour did not have much more information about the family, but said she was aware the mother had a boyfriend. She has since been told by other neighbours the house and family had been involved with police and Oranga Tamariki in the past.

The family had moved from Waterloo to Stokes Valley just two days before the children’s injuries were discovered. Police have asked anyone who noticed “suspicious activity” in the two suburbs to contact them to help with the investigation, dubbed Operation Tempo.

While police refused to give out addresses or street names regarding where the abuse occurred in order to protect the children’s privacy, they said anybody who knew the family would know what they were talking about.

Detective Senior Sergeant Rebecca Cotton told media on Friday the family were known to police and Oranga Tamariki, but on other occasions when police had gone to the property and seen the children, there were no concerns for their welfare.

Cotton said members of the family were co-operating with police to “varying degrees” and police believed some people who had spoken to them were still withholding information.

The older child was taken to hospital by ambulance on March 8.

She could not say how far back the injuries dated, but believed they were deliberately inflicted and occurred over a sustained period of time.

The children were living at the two houses with their mother, but there were multiple people “frequenting” the properties.

Since making the appeal to the public for more information, at least one person has come forward with information that police said would help in the investigation.

If you have information that may assist police, call 105 or make a report via 105.police.govt.nz and reference file number 240308/4647. Alternatively, report information anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Kāinga Ora has said neither of the houses were theirs. Hutt City Council has declined to comment on whether either property was council housing.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.