Police admit flaws in Huntly baby death probe

Police have admitted there were flaws in their investigation into the death of a toddler in Huntly five years ago.

However, they said although they originally wanted to charge the parents of 12-month-old Rangimaria Chelsea Kanawa after she was left alone in a car for hours and died on April 14, 2001, the Crown Law Office recommended no charges be laid.

Without that support the charges could not go ahead.

The parents were reported to have drunk through the night at a 21st birthday party while the baby was left in the back seat of a car.

She died early in the morning.

Huntly coroner Bob McDermott was yesterday heavily critical of the police who handled the case and the parents for their "gross lack of care".

A pathologist's report described Rangimaria as an "apparently healthy infant" whose sudden death "possibly resulted from a combination of events including respiratory obstructions and underlying lung infection or bronchiolitis".

The New Zealand Herald reported today an inquest was not held until yesterday because of police and Crown Law Office delays, a lack of evidence and the file being lost.

Mr McDermott said five months after the baby's death he wrote to police asking for a decision on charges but got no reply. He wrote again two months later asking for the file.

He said he was then told the Crown Law Office had recommended no prosecution under the Crimes Act because of a lack of evidence and that it was too late to lay a charge under the Summary Proceedings Act, because it had been six months since the death of the baby.

Waikato police spokeswoman, Kris McGehan said today foul play and trauma had been ruled out and the baby appeared to have been healthy.

However, she said Mr McDermott talked about a chest infection and the pathologist had reported that the infection had a "significant part to play in the death".

She said the original police team which investigated the death got conflicting evidence and had had a lot of trouble finding out what had happened.

"There was a lot of confusion about who had done what."

There were also different reports from different people about how long the baby had been left in the car.

She said the case was now closed.

"We do accept there was a delay with the compilation of the evidence."

She said police went to the Crown Law Office twice and both times the office decided against charging anyone.

"The delay shouldn't have taken that long, we certainly accept that," she said.

- NZPA