Grieving family demand answers, allege ‘cover-up’ months after child sex offender’s Northland prison death

• Kingi Hemi was found dead in his Northland prison cell on November 30, with the cause still “unexplained”.
• Hemi’s family allege a “cover-up” and claim he was bullied by his cellmate before his death.
• Police are investigating, awaiting a pathologist’s report, and will update the family as inquiries progress.

A grieving family are alleging a “cover-up” and want answers about how their relative came to die 136 days ago in Northland’s Ngawha Prison.

Kingi Hemi – a convicted child sex offender – was found dead in his cell on November 30.

But four and a half months later, police say the cause of death is yet to be confirmed and the matter remains “unexplained”.

Kingi Hemi, 40, died in Ngawha Prison on November 20 while serving a six-year sentence for child sex offences. His death is "unexplained".

Hemi’s family say they have heard nothing from police since the Herald reported on the case in December.

“The family feel that there is a cover-up,” a family spokesperson told the Herald.

“We feel that nobody is looking into it. We just want answers as to how he was killed to put closure to it.”

The family claim an informant alleged Hemi had been bullied by his cellmate before his death, and he had asked to be moved to a different cell.

They also claim unusual marks were found on Hemi’s body, which a funeral home told them had undergone an “extensive” post-mortem examination before being released to the family.

Sister Serina Tuatara earlier told the Herald her family wanted to know why her brother wasn’t in segregation given his offending, and whether anyone else was involved in his death.

“I want justice for my brother.”

Kingi Hemi was serving six-year jail sentence at time of his death

The Herald can reveal the 40-year-old was serving six years in jail for two attacks on children.

In one, he broke into an Auckland home after defecating in the driveway and turning off the power, then entered an 11-year-old girl’s bedroom. He began licking her face before punching her when she screamed.

Another involved the sexual violation of a boy aged under 12.

Kingi Hemi died in Ngawha Prison on November 20 while serving a six-year sentence for child sex offences. His family’s attempts to find out how he died has been frustrated by a lack of information, his sister says.

Hemi – who has more than 30 convictions – grew up in Porirua but had been living in Waitara.

He was jailed for three years and three months in 2021 for attacking the girl and given more jail time for the sexual violation in July 2023. He was declined parole in September and had been due to reappear before the Parole Board last February.

Tuatara said prison staff told the family her brother was discovered unresponsive by his cellmate, who alerted guards.

But the family’s attempts to find out how he died had been frustrated by a lack of information, she said.

A police spokesman said this week that officers were still investigating the circumstances surrounding Hemi’s death.

They were waiting on the results of a pathologist’s report.

“It’s in everyone’s best interest that we allow the detailed process to be carried out.

“Police will continue to liaise with whānau as there are updates in our inquiries.”

A Corrections spokesperson said: “We fully appreciate this remains a difficult time for the family. Corrections has provided police with all information and access required for their investigation.

“Any further questions about the investigation will need to be directed to police.”

Desperate for answers

Tuatara said she helped dress her brother’s body for the tangi and discovered several unusual bruises and scratches.

“My brother’s body didn’t look right,” she said.

“The funeral home said his autopsy was very, very extensive. They’ve never seen one like that before.”

Tuatara said prison staff told her Hemi was found about 8am.

“The cellmate was the one who alerted them to Kingi and [Corrections] were waiting for a coroner’s report.”

Desperate for answers about how he died, the family turned to social media.

An informant contacted the family alleging Hemi had been bullied by his cellmate.

“The cellmate was threatening him,” the informant wrote. “It turns out he was asking to be moved.”

Tuatara would not reveal the identity of the tipster, saying doing so could put people at risk.

“It’s like narking, mate, and you don’t nark. Snitches get stitches.”

Kingi Hemi had been living in Waitara and has a 5-year-old daughter.

Tuatara said not knowing how her brother died was “very hard”.

“I want to know what happened.”

A Corrections spokesman confirmed Hemi was in a double-bunked cell at the time of his death.

Prisoners could request to be segregated “at any time”.

A coroner’s spokeswoman said inquiries into Hemi’s death had just begun. It was too early to say whether the death was being investigated as a suspected suicide.

Lane Nichols is Auckland Desk Editor and a senior journalist for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years of experience in the industry.

Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.