Police review baby's death after coroner's findings

A copy photo of 7-month-old Staranise Waru. Photo / Supplied

Police are reviewing the death of a baby girl who a coroner says died after being violently shaken by one of her parents.

Seven-month-old Staranise Waru died at Christchurch Hospital, on February 18 in 2006, two days after she was admitted.

In findings into the circumstances of death, released yesterday, regional coroner Richard McElrea said Staranise's death came after a "profound episode of shaking" by her mother, Nyree Hopa or father, Robert Waru.

"The perpetrator of the shaking injury that resulted in death was either the father or mother of the infant," he said.

The coroner also said he accepted that Ms Hopa, who had another baby about a year after Staranise's death, did not knowingly harm her daughter.

"However, this finding would not preclude the possibility that she caused the baby's final injury through severely shaking the baby in frustration at the infant's persistent crying and screaming."

Police yesterday said they would be reviewing the case following the findings.

Detective Inspector Mike Johnson, who worked on the case at the time, said police had gone through the findings thoroughly.

"Essentially we are considering the findings, and if there are investigative avenues then we will look into those," he said.

"With homicide cases, we don't close them but they're reviewed when something comes up and then we follow it up."

Staranise died of a severe brain injury. The coroner said it was likely the little girl had also suffered previous injuries from being shaken.

The coroner also found Mr Waru's evidence to be "unsatisfactory" after he gave false information to police about an earlier incident that left Staranise with a cut on her head.

In statements to police, Mr Waru said that on the two nights before she was taken to hospital - on February 14 and 15 - Staranise had been crying and screaming, as a result of an injury she had suffered.

He told police he had taken his daughter for a walk on February 7, after a doctor's appointment, and as they entered a video store he bumped into someone leaving, which led to Staranise banging her head on the shop's doors.

The girl screamed and cried for about 10 minutes, Mr Waru told police.

Security video footage from the store, however, showed nothing of the sort and staff reported seeing him holding a happy Staranise in his arms.

In her statement to police, Ms Hopa said her partner had told her about their daughter getting a cut on her head at the video store.

Ms Hopa later told police Mr Waru had since told her he had bumped the child's head on the car door.

He later told an inquest into his daughter's death that both his explanations had been untrue.

Mr McElrea said that overall, he found Mr Waru to be an "unconvincing witness" because of his previous false statements and his repeated responses he could not remember events that took place leading up to Staranise's death, when he was questioned at the inquest hearing.

A child born to the couple a year after Staranise died was placed with extended family members after police wrote to Child, Youth and Family yesterday expressing concerns for the safety of the child.

Head of operations Marama Wiki said: "I can confirm that the younger sibling of Staranise Waru is now in the care of extended family members.

"The child is doing well and Child, Youth and Family is no longer involved," shesaid

Neither Mr Waru or Ms Hopa's lawyers would comment yesterday.