Rachel Smalley: There must never be another baby Moko

Moko was subjected to severe beatings by his caregivers. Photo / Supplied

This story never gets any easier to talk about. The death of baby Moko.

The 3-year-old suffered the most horrific abuse at the hands of his carers, Tania Shailer and David Haerewa.

Sometimes the media sanitises the extent of the abuse in cases like this. It's hard to listen to. It's hard to read.

But actually, no. People need to know the horror of what's happening to some of our children.

In his final days, Moko was subjected to severe beatings. He was repeatedly thrown, slapped and kicked. He was hit on the face so hard with a jandal it cut his lips and split the skin on his cheeks.

They would throw him on a mattress on the ground and stomp on his back. He lost control of his bowel. His carers would rub the faeces in his face.

Once, when he lost consciousness in the bathroom, they picked up his motionless body and dropped him on the ground again and again and again. Face first.

He had haemorrhages to both eyes. His bowel ruptured from being stomped on.

His abusers finally called an ambulance and he was rushed to Taupo Hospital. And perhaps mercifully, his little body gave up the fight six hours later.

Moko was dead at the age of 3.

Wallace Bain is the Bay of Plenty coroner and he's released his report into Moko's death. You may remember, he also investigated the death of another 3-year-old, the little Rotorua girl Nia Glassie.

And this is what he said in this report: "The horrific circumstances surrounding Nia Glassie's death have been surpassed beyond belief with the violence perpetrated on Moko."

His advice, word for word, remains the same advice that he gave after Nia's death.

Every child should be placed on a national register at birth and monitored until the age of 5.

If that had happened, the coroner said, little Moko would still be alive.

People wouldn't have taken to the streets after his death, and I wouldn't be talking about this today.

But that register wasn't put in place. We didn't listen to the coroner. And more children have died.

The coroner has said again - get the register in place, and we will save lives.

Every five weeks, a child in this country dies because of abuse. Every two days, a child is admitted to hospital because of neglect, maltreatment or assault.

There are damaged adults in this country. The monsters that killed Moko are examples of that. And damaged adults go on to damage children.

The coroner insists the child register is the best way to stop Kiwis killing their kids. So will we listen this time?

Or will there be another Nia Glassie or Moko Rangitoheriri, and yet another coroner's report recommending a child register.

The coroner says we need to do whatever it takes, irrespective of whatever it costs. He's singled out the Prime Minister in his report too. Wallace Bain says "let's do this".

So will we?

Rachel Smalley hosts Early Edition on Newstalk ZB