Whakatāne homicide: Women accused of killing 8-year-old Rickah’Shae Keefe-Haerewa face additional charges

Pauline Timu (left) and Maya Hati, pictured at an earlier appearance, face new charges related to alleged child abuse.

Two women charged over the death of 8-year-old Rickah’Shae Keefe-Haerewa face new charges that cover further alleged child abuse.

Maya Hati, 25, and Pauline Timu, 61, appeared in the High Court at Tauranga on Wednesday.

They pleaded not guilty, through lawyers Caitlin Gentleman and Tony Rickard-Simms, to new charges which cover alleged violence and ill-treatment towards a child.

Hati now faces five charges relating to Rickah’Shae – including murder and assault of a child - she has previously pleaded not guilty to these.

She’s now also charged with ill-treatment of a child and two charges of assault with a weapon, which she denies.

The charge notice alleges she used a cord, and a pole or stick, as weapons.

Timu faces six charges relating to Rickah’Shae – including manslaughter and two charges of assaulting a child, which she previously pleaded not guilty to.

Pauline Timu (left) and Maya Hati, pictured at earlier appearances, face charges of violence, and the ill-treatment of a child. Composite image / Hannah Bartlett

She’s now also charged with ill-treatment of a child, and two charges of assault with a weapon, which she denies.

She too is alleged to have used a cord, and a pole or stick, as weapons.

Hati now faces three charges related to a further child, added to the same charge notice as the Rickah’Shae charges.

They are assault of a child, assault with a weapon, and ill-treatment of a child.

Timu also faces the same three charges, against the same child.

An investigation into Rickah’Shae’s death began after police were called to Whakatāne Hospital in November last year, after the child died following an alleged assault.

A scene examination was carried out at a property in the small town of Te Teko.

Rickah'Shae Keefe-Haerewa, also known as Joppy.

Hati was charged first over Rickah’Shae’s death, with Timu’s charges following.

Family members posted tributes to the young boy, who also went by the nickname Joppy, online.

“Mummy and Daddy love you. Forever 8 my son.”

At earlier court appearances, supporters of Rickah’Shae wore “Forever 8″ hoodies and T-shirts to the proceedings.

At Hati’s previous appearance in Tauranga, emotions ran high for both families; as Hati’s family expressed their love and support for her as she left the dock, a single voice from the boy’s family was heard to allege, “You killed my baby”.

Supporters for Hati, Timu and Rickah’Shae, were present in court on Wednesday.

Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She previously covered court and local government for the Nelson Mail, and before that was a radio reporter at Newstalk ZB.