KEY POINTS:
When the babysitter of 10-month-old Jyniah Te Awa was sentenced last month to life imprisonment - with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years - it was as close as the baby girl's family will ever get to justice.
But for many other grieving families who have lost children to violence there has been no justice - or the justice was not deemed long enough.
In assessing many of the child abuse cases that have come before our courts in recent years, it seems it can be difficult getting a murder conviction, despite what often appears overwhelming evidence.
In some cases juries are unable to decide if a person is guilty and they return a hung verdict or an acquittal.
In others they choose to convict on a lesser charge of manslaughter.
Police and lawyers say the perceived lack of justice stems from a number of factors, including jurors who often do not want to believe a person is capable of killing a child.
Other times jurors feel another person - often the other parent - is also to blame for leaving the child with an unsuitable adult.
Police and lawyers say some of the difficulties in securing convictions against child abusers stem from the fact the cases involve victims who are either too young to tell police what happened or are no longer alive. The only evidence - their injuries - could have been inflicted by any number of people.
All the defence has to do is raise the possibility that another person caused the injuries and the accused gets acquitted as the jurors are left in doubt.
In child sexual abuse cases, getting convictions is also difficult. Research shows juries come back with guilty verdicts only 33 per cent of the time.
Detective Senior Sergeant Darrell Harpur, who heads the Counties Manukau Child Abuse Team, says if there is a lack of forensic evidence police need to rely on corroboration.
"At the end of the day it generally comes down to one person's word against another."
Mr Harpur says one of the highest penalties after murder is sexual violation, which has a starting point of 20 years. That penalty is possibly another reason juries struggle to convict.
"... Twelve members of the pubic considering whether they are going to put someone away ... they really seem to want irrefutable evidence and there simply isn't in a lot of these cases."
JUSTICE FOR ALL?
* Raiden Niania, 4 months. Father Arthur Niania found not guilty of shaken-baby manslaughter after his second trial. First trial had to be aborted.
* Alyssa Wilson, 4 months old. Father went through three trials, the last of which was aborted. No further trials so charge withdrawn. No one will ever be held accountable.
* Tamati Pokaia, 3, killed by his foster father Michael Waterhouse. Waterhouse found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter after his second trial.
* Ngatikaura Ngati, 3, killed by his parents. Parents charged with murder. Found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 8 years' jail.
* Chris and Cru Kahui, 3 months. Father Chris Kahui charged with murder but found not guilty. No one else is expected to face charges.
