"People who have harmed this child need to be held accountable," she said.
"I am not of the belief that they should be given a soft run, simply because they harmed a defenceless young boy."
She said several Māori organisations were poised to provide support, but it was hard to help when some members of the boy's whānau would not speak.
"It is fairly solid that they have been advised not to speak," she said.
"The community in Flaxmere will have an inkling, especially those from that street, but like I said I am leaving that investigation in the hands of the police."
The boy's uncles, Jerry and Cade, told RNZ that his father had gone into hiding after receiving threats.
It is understood the boy had a suspicious injury in June last year, and was taken by Oranga Tamariki but was returned to the same home where he was injured, without consultation with whānau, some of whom opposed his return.
Oranga Tamariki deputy chief executive for south services Alison McDonald stood by the agency's decision.
"In January, following extensive work with the family over many months, Oranga Tamariki was satisfied there were sufficient supports from wider whānau and professionals for the boy to be at home," she said.
"By then, his family had actively engaged in a range of services. Decisions like this are never made in isolation."
Māori Council executive director Matthew Tukaki said it was a tragedy, and people needed to front up about what happened.
"It is not okay to keep silent, at some point we are going to have to try and figure out what happened," he said.
"We need to know what needs to change and what more we can do to support out families whatever the circumstances might be."
On average, a child dies every five weeks as a result of violence in New Zealand.
Tukaki said the headlines often focused on Māori cases, and it was important not to see child abuse as a Māori issue.
Leading Māori academic and family harm researcher Leonie Pihama agreed.
"What we know from the research that we have been doing is that for one, this is not a Māori problem," she said.
"The issue of family violence and sexual violence and child abuse was not an issue that was prevalent prior to colonisation."
Dr Pihama said people generally remained silent after abuse because they did not trust police.
She said that came down to a series of negative experiences Māori had with police over generations.
"It is an outcome of the disconnection and impact of not being heard by agencies and the punitive way issues are dealt with."
However, remaining silent about child abuse was not tikanga Māori, she said.
"Whanaungatanga is accountability and our obligation and responsibility for all of us to care for our children."
Dr Pihama said some families had lost the notion that tamariki were tapu and taonga, and the answer lay in strengthening and rebuilding Māori knowledge within whānau.
"Some government here has to get brave enough to actually trust that their agencies can't do it and it is time for us to have the opportunity to do it."
-RNZ
WHERE TO GET HELP
If you're in danger now:
• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.
• Run outside and head for where there are other people.
• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.
• Take the children with you.
• Don't stop to get anything else.
• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay
Where to go for help or more information:
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz
• It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz
• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584
• Ministry of Justice: www.justice.govt.nz/family-justice/domestic-violence
• National Network of Stopping Violence: www.nnsvs.org.nz
• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women, focusing this year on sexual violence and the issue of consent. www.whiteribbon.org.nz
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