Nia Glassie's family should be forced to take part in a coroner's inquest into the toddler's death, a New Zealand family-focused lobby group claims.
Rotorua Coroner Dr Wallace Bain announced he is holding a pre-inquest into Nia's death on April 20 and wants organisations wishing to attend to lodge their intentions
with the court. Nia's Tokoroa-based grandfather Glassie Glassie Senior told The Daily Post this week the family wanted to put the incident behind them and they wouldn't be taking part in the inquest.
He said they had lost contact with Nia's father, Glassie Glassie (Jnr), who was believed to be in Australia.
However, Family First New Zealand national director Bob McCoskrie says the inquest shouldn't be "optional" for the toddler's family. He said the inquest into the death of the Rotorua 3-year-old, who died of severe brain injury following ongoing abuse, must tackle the issues of "family breakdown and dysfunction" and for that reason the Glassie family should be ordered to appear.
Dr Bain hasn't ruled out ordering the Glassies to take part.
He said in a statement yesterday that "these matters are to be considered at the pre-inquest hearing and subsequently any person can be summoned to attend the Coroner's Court as with any court".
Mr McCoskrie said there were a multitude of questions to be asked including the responsiveness and actions of government and local agencies working with the family leading up to the death.
Whether the family had actively sought help, the role of substance abuse, possible welfare dependency and fraud needed to be determined and answered through the inquest, he said.
The issue of any possible insufficient post-natal care and monitoring and any other factors also need to be addressed.
"The actions and lifestyle of the family are extremely important in determining risk factors for child abuse," he said.
"The Glassie family can't be allowed to hide from this process."
Dr Bain should "subpoena" all members of the extended family to give evidence, Mr McCoskrie said.
Nia's mother Lisa Kuka, 35, was sentenced to nine years' jail after being convicted of two counts of manslaughter. Her 19-year-old boyfriend, Wiremu Curtis, and his brother, Michael Curtis, 22, were jailed for life with a non-parole period of 17 years for her murder.
