Girl, 3, dies in hospital

JONATHAN CAMERON/Manawatu Standard

OFF LIMITS: The police cordon around the Hulme St house where a three-year-old was found with life-threatening injuries.

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A three-year-old girl who today died in hospital after being discovered unconscious and with critical head injuries was in the care of a man she was not related to.

Police and ambulance officers discovered the girl after being called to a house in Hulme St around 1.20pm yesterday by an adult who was visiting the property.

She was taken to Palmerston North Hospital, where she died in the intensive care unit shortly before midday today. Police said family members were at her side in hospital.

An autopsy was being carried out this afternoon to determine how she died.

About 12 Palmerston North detectives are investigating the incident.

Police said before the visitor who rang emergency services arrived at the house, the three-year-old girl was in the care of a man she was not related to. Three other children - aged two, four and six - were also present. Some of them were the girl's siblings.

Those children were placed with extended family members last night.

Police have not released details of the girl's injuries or identity.

Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan said it was too early to speculate on how the girl was injured.

"What we have to bear in mind is that the majority of people in the house at the time were young children. We will need to talk to these children in detail and will require experts to help us do this, so it is a very sensitive situation that may take some days if not weeks to bring to a conclusion.

The house is under police control and a scene examination is continuing.

Police said they had received the "full support and co-operation of the family" in their investigation.

- with The Manawatu Standard