Police are awaiting the results of Rotorua toddler Nia Maria Glassie's post mortem before deciding whether more serious charges will be laid against five people accused of abusing her.
The 3-year-old died at Auckland's Starship Hospital yesterday at 4.12pm, less than two hours after the ventilator helping her breathe was turned off.
She was flown to Starship from Rotorua Hospital nine days ago with head and abdominal injuries.
She spent the week in a coma in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit.
Nia had allegedly been tied to a clothesline at the rear of her Frank St home in Koutu and also spun in a tumble dryer.
Five people have been charged with assaulting her.
Public interest surrounding her case has prompted Rotorua coroner Dr Wallace Bain to conduct an inquiry into events leading up to her death.
Last night he ordered that a post-mortem examination of the toddler be carried out by a team of forensic pathologists in Auckland today.
It was important to conduct the examination as soon as possible as any delay could limit the pathologists' ability to determine the precise causes of death.
Fast-tracking the post-mortem would also benefit Nia's immediate family who, due to their customs and spiritual beliefs, wanted her returned home as soon as possible, he said.
Due to charges being laid, however, his inquiry has been adjourned until after criminal proceedings have ended. Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Loper said the post-mortem's findings would determine the next phase of the police investigation.
Michael Curtis, 21, Michael Pearson, 19, and Oriwa Kemp, 17, are jointly charged with abusing Nia over three days in July.
The oldest of the accused, William Curtis, 48, is charged with abusing Nia over a four-month period this year.
They are in custody at Waikeria Prison awaiting a bail hearing in the Rotorua District Court on Wednesday.
The fifth person charged, the toddler's 17-year-old stepfather, Wiremu Curtis, is on bail and will appear in the Rotorua District Court for the first time on Monday.
Family spokesman and Te Arawa kaumatua Toby Curtis, who is an uncle of William, said the whanau were "gutted" to hear about Nia's death.
"Our worst fears have been realised. It's a nightmare experience."
He was unsure when Nia's tangi would be held and did not know if his nephew or others charged in relation to Nia knew of her death.
"We are not permitted to see them," he said.
"They don't have any visiting rights but I suspect someone would have informed them."
The Curtis whanau plan to meet Nia's mother and her family, who are from Tauranga, at the tangi.
Mr Curtis said he had been overwhelmed by the level of support his whanau had received.
Meanwhile, the four accused in custody are expected to reappear in court on Wednesday, where they will be filmed and photographed by the media. The four had not wanted their faces to be shown publicly, and feared physical attacks and death if their photographs were published.
However, Judge James Weir did not think their fear was a "compelling" reason to not allow the media to take photographs and film inside the court. Lawyers had not opposed the photographs and images, but had wanted their clients' faces pixelated so they could not be identified.
Nia and a 12-week-old Rotorua baby admitted to Starship last week with suspicious injuries prompted specialists there to describe New Zealand's child abuse statistics as a "national scandal".
At a meeting in Rotorua this week to combat family violence, community leaders called for more people to speak up if they feel children they know are at risk of abuse.
Battle ends for Nia as life support switched off
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