Tortured toddler's family kept quiet

By ALISON HORWOOD

Lillybing, the 23-month-old toddler shaken to death by her aunt Rachaelle Namana, could have been saved from her brutal fate.

Previously suppressed court evidence shows that Namana, who yesterday pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her niece, asked for help several months earlier.

She told Wairarapa kuia Caroline Fox that she had "had enough of bashing Lillybing" and "was afraid she might go too far."

The family decided to send the little girl to her grandmother, but a month later Lillybing was crying for the aunt who once breastfed her.

The grandmother, Josephine Matiaha, then told Namana: "This bloody kid's fretting for you, take her."

Within two months, Lillybing was dead.

According to the evidence, the family had agreed that no one else needed to know about the abuse.

Yesterday, in the High Court at Wellington, Namana pleaded guilty to one charge of manslaughter, two of wilful ill-treatment and two of failing to provide the necessaries of life.

Two unrelated charges of assaulting a child were transferred from the District Court.

Namana's sister, Rongomai Paewai, who helped care for Lillybing, pleaded guilty to two charges of wilful ill-treatment and two of failing to provide the necessaries of life.

A charge against Namana's partner, David Hemopo, was dropped.

Namana was remanded in custody to June 15 for sentencing and her sister was freed on bail until the same day.

Yesterday, suppression was lifted on evidence from the preliminary hearing in Masterton in December.

The court heard then how Hinewaoriki Karaitiana-Matiaha - known to her family as Lillybing - already had rigor mortis when she was delivered to Masterton Hospital last July 23.

The little girl had brain injuries consistent with a 6m fall on to her head. Genital mutilation was so severe that doctors said it could have killed her if the head injuries had not done so first. There has been insufficient evidence to charge anyone with sexual violation.

Lillybing was also covered in more than 90 bruises and abrasions and had a full-face burn which doctors agreed would have been excruciating and might have occurred up to 36 hours before her death.

The court heard how Namana was not coping with the pressure of reopening the Nga Waka Te Kohanga Reo in Carterton while caring for her own four children and having the extra worry of a sick relative.

Around March last year, she confided in Caroline Fox.

Caroline Fox was rushing off to a 4 pm appointment, but the next day talked to Josephine Matiaha, Lillybing's grandmother, and later arranged a meeting with Namana and Lillybing's birth mother, Terina Matiaha.

At the meeting, Josephine Matiaha asked Namana whether she had been assaulting Lillybing. She said she had been.

Namana told her: "It's not just Lillybing" She was doing "funny things" to her own children, and had locked them in the pantry, wardrobe and bathroom for their own safety.

When Josephine Matiaha asked her about Lillybing, she said Namana replied: "I lost the plot and slapped the hell out of her. I got sick of her crying all the time and all the bullshit."

The whanau agreed that Terina Matiaha would care full-time for Lillybing. Caroline Fox said that if Namana took Lillybing back, she would contact the Children and Young Persons' Service.

Shortly after, she ended her involvement with the kohanga.

Josephine Matiaha then decided to take notice of what Lillybing was like around Namana.

She said in evidence that her mokopuna (grandchild) often froze or went to sit next to her or her mother. "Lillybing would often hold on to my thigh and had a look of fear in her eyes when Namana was around."

She said that when Lillybing began crying for her "aunty," she was initially worried about whether Namana could be trusted.

Said Terina Matiaha in evidence: "Lillybing started to cry for Rachaelle again ... So she started going back to Rachaelle."

A month later, Lillybing came home from Namana's Carterton home with a swollen lip and a bruise on her nose and cheekbone.

Namana said a chest of drawers fell on her.

Subsequent minor injuries were written off as fights with her cousins at kohanga.

Terina Matiaha told the court that she had seen Namana shake Lillybing so hard her feet came off the ground.

When Terina Matiaha asked why she shook Lillybing, Namana replied she had "got into the smokes."

At the meeting, the family agreed that no one else needed to know about the abuse or be involved, according to evidence.

Josephine Matiaha suggested counselling, but Namana said she did not need it.

Of Lillybing's abuse, Josephine Matiaha told the family at the time, "It could have been worse, we could have gone there and found her dead."