Tattoo man's ordeal ends in death

By ALAN PERROTT and MARTIN JOHNSTON

Peta Leota-Tui threatened to end her marriage to stop her husband getting the backstreet cultural tattoos she believes killed him.

James Leota-Tui died in the intensive care unit at Middlemore Hospital this week from an infection, three days after abandoning his second attempt to complete a traditional Samoan body tattoo.

The dark tattoos covered his body from navel to knees and as a new matai, or head of his extended family, the 29-year-old was determined to endure the same tattoo ritual his father had.

An autopsy has been performed. Police and public health officials are investigating the cause of death and charges may be laid.

The infection is understood to have involved the flesh-eating disease necrotising fasciitis, often caused by a strain of the streptococcal bug.

Tissue from Mr Leota-Tui, and the tattoo equipment used, is being tested for this and other bacteria.

The police are investigating under the Crimes Act, which requires that surgical procedures be performed with a reasonable standard of care.

The death has awakened concerns about hygiene standards in unlicensed, backroom operations that have sprung up to cater for the resurgence in interest among young Pacific Islanders for "tatau".

Grey Lynn cultural tattooist Inia Taylor wants a crackdown on backstreet operators, who he says discredit his craft and endanger the health of their customers.

"I have heard some real horror stories. I have travelled around the Pacific for years learning how to do traditional, cultural work.

"Being clean as well doesn't make my tattoos any less cultural."

Peta Leota-Tui, a school teacher, said she repeatedly tried to stop her husband's ordeal after he became ill in April during the first round of tattoos.

She was alarmed by the poor hygiene practices, especially when the tattoos on her husband's back were slow to heal.

Despite a period of recovery, Mr Leota-Tui was sent home from his job as a tyre retreader because his wounds were still open.

"It came to the point that I tried to threaten him over our relationship," said Mrs Leota-Tui as she held their 2-year-old son, Juan-Pedro.

"I didn't see the point of it. I know it's traditional, but tattoos aren't going to pay my bills. James had been looking forward to a big party this month for his 30th.

"Now we're going to have a big funeral instead."

Photographs taken in April show Mr Leota-Tui being worked on by four men including the tattooist hired by the dead man's family for $1500.

He is lying on several stained pillows on a mat in his parents' home. Only one of the men is wearing gloves - and only because Mr Leota-Tui brought them with him.

The tattooist told Mrs Leota-Tui he cleaned his traditional bone tools with Dettol. The Weekend Herald has been unable to contact the tattooist.

Despite pain from the first tattoos and Mrs Leota-Tui's objections, the work resumed on June 24.

Within several days, Mr Leota-Tui had weakened so badly the tattooing was stopped.

His health deteriorated quickly. Mrs Leota-Tui desperately called her husband's family for help last Sunday. An ambulance was eventually called and medics tried to resuscitate him before taking him to Middlemore Hospital.

After being treated for 15 hours, he died about 4.30pm on Monday.

Mrs Leota-Tui has not heard from the tattooist since.

She says her husband's father tried to persuade his sons not to undergo the test of strength and stamina, but James was determined, especially as none of his brothers had been tattooed.

The procedure is usually carried out only by certain families who have performed the ritual for generations.

The most famous is the Suluape family, members of which fly from Samoa to perform the three-week tattoo for between $2500 and $3000.

Mr Leota-Tui was buried yesterday, the same day as a new Manukau City Council bylaw on tattoos and body piercings came into force.

Cultural tattooists are exempt from the new licensing rules, but will be expected to follow health and hygiene guidelines which are yet to be established.

The Manukau City environmental health team leader, Ian Milnes, expects the guidelines to be effective, but said enforcing them on underground tattooists was always difficult.

The Health Ministry's director of public health, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, said the link between tattooing and necrotising fasciitis in Mr Leota-Tui was not yet proven, but most likely.

Pa'u Tafa Mulitalo, a lecturer in social and cultural studies at Massey University, Albany, said there had been a renaissance of "tatau", tattoos, among young Samoan men - "they are very proud of it."

"It's highly respected in Samoan society and it's becoming a fashion in New Zealand now."