Police give an update on the death of a Lower Hutt toddler.
Video / NZ Herald
A Hutt City Councillor says the Taita community has been left shocked and devastated by the violent killing of baby Ruthless-Empire.
Northern Ward Councillor Naomi Shaw told the Herald the death of the almost 2-year-old on Sunday has shaken people.
“It’s a shocking situation for the family and the child involved and you know, any community this happens in would be absolutely gutted and devastated.”
She said in times of crisis, communities often come together and that’s what she is seeing in the wake of baby Ru’s death.
“That’s the sort of community we have. Good, loving, kind, decent people.”
Shaw could not speak highly enough of the Taita community, saying despite their shock and heartache they would support one another.
“I just know that that’s how it will be in the community today as they hear the news of what’s happened on the back doorstep. There’ll be overwhelming support for each other.
Baby Ru died on Sunday after being injured at a home in Taita some 12 hours beforehand. He was taken to hospital unresponsive and died a short time later.
Yesterday, Detective Inspector Nick Pritchard confirmed his death was being treated as a homicide, and that three people of interest were being spoken to by police - all three were in the home on Poole St when Ruthless-Empire was injured.
The Poole St house in Taita, Lower Hutt, where baby Ruthless-Empire lived. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Pritchard said yesterday that the level of violence against the toddler was “difficult to fathom” and that of the three people in the home, one was a direct blood relative and the other two were members of the extended whānau.
One of the three also appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court last month facing charges including common assault, aggravated assault and behaving threateningly.
There were also shoplifting charges and charges of breaching intensive supervision.
Pritchard confirmed the people in the home were known to police and police were engaging with Oranga Tamariki to understand the context of Ruthless-Empire’s death.
“I would urge anyone with information to come forward and talk to police if they know what happened inside the property,” he said.
“We want justice.”
Sean Mason, acting national commissioner for Corrections, expressed condolences to Ruthless-Empire’s whānau, saying every child deserves a “safe loving home”.
“We echo police’s comment that any person with information should do the right thing and provide this information to police.
“As you are aware, this is now a homicide inquiry. We do not want to compromise what is an active Police investigation and prevent any person from being held to account for this crime.
“For this reason, it is not appropriate for us to provide further information at this stage.”
Vita Molyneux is a Wellington-based journalist who covers breaking news and stories from the capital. She has been a journalist since 2018 and joined the Herald in 2021.
