Police talk to father of twins for 6 hours

The house in Clendon where family members are meeting before the return of the twins' bodies. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

The father of Chris and Cru Kahui has told police he does not know who fatally injured the 3-month-old twins.

The babies had suffered multiple injuries and severe brain damage.

Chris Kahui, 21, was interviewed by police for six hours yesterday and his lawyer, Lorraine Smith, last night told the Herald: "He denies any knowledge whatsoever."

The father spoke to police after officers agreed to release a copy of an earlier statement he made. Ms Smith had been refusing access to him until this was done.

The twins' mother was also interviewed by police yesterday.

The bodies of the twins have now been released to the family.

The couple also have a boy, aged between 12 and 18 months, who has been removed from the family home by Child, Youth and Family.

The boy was taken, with a baby girl understood to be Mr Kahui's niece, after CYF was notified of the twins' injuries.

Police yesterday put further pressure on family members to come forward with information.

"There is a large amount of grief and guilt within the family and extended family," he said.

"This guilt has come about because the family, in hindsight, some of the family wish they had done more to keep Cru and Chris safe while they were alive."

Mr Tims said all family members, including Mr Kahui, were being treated as witnesses in the double homicide investigation.

Chris and Cru were rushed to hospital by their mother on Tuesday a week ago.

Police said they had been in the care of their father and extended family and she had not seen them for 12 hours. Neighbours in the street said the address had been occupied for two to three months but they had not realised babies were living in the house.

Residents said there were regular parties with loud noise, a lot of drinking and people coming and going from the Mangere address.

"We didn't see any signs, like lots of washing out, the normal signs of having babies in a house," said one neighbour, who did not want to be named.

"[Now] knowing something awful has happened to babies over there and the family not talking, it gets you angry."

It is understood the family divided their time between the Mangere address and a house in Clendon, where relatives were last night gathering before the return of the twins' bodies.

- additional reporting NZPA, NEWSTALK ZB