Strong message in baby murder sentence

NZPA

PRISON OF PAIN: Lisa Cassidy and Ike Te Awa, the parents of Jyniah Mary Te Awa outside court after Tiana Kapea was sentenced. 'We will never be released from the prison in our minds,' Cassidy told the court.

NZPA

TIANA KAPEA: The once trusted friend 'poisoned and infected' the lives of the family of 10-month-old girl Jyniah Te Awa, who died after Kapea's horrendous abuse.

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The sentencing of a child minder to life in prison for murdering a 10-month-old baby should serve as a strong deterrent to would-be offenders, say police who investigated the crime.

Jyniah Mary Te Awa was subjected to a month and a half of torture and abuse at the hands of Tiana Mary-Anne Odessa Kapea last year.

There was standing room only in the High Court at Auckland today, as dozens of extended family turned out to watch Kapea, 30, being sentenced by Justice John Hansen, after she admitted murdering Jyniah.

She was jailed for life with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years.

She was also jailed for three years, to run concurrently, for child cruelty.

Detective Inspector Sue Schwalger, officer in charge of the investigation, said every offence which happened behind closed doors was difficult for police.

" The family are obviously very emotional as Jyniah was their 10-month-old baby . What happened to Jyniah was tragic. It was systematic abuse. It was torture," Ms Schwalger said.

On White Ribbon Day today, which campaigns against domestic violence towards women, Ms Schwalger added that family violence and child abuse was always at the forefront of police work.

"We are the voice of the victim, so we need to have the family and community come out in support of any police inquiry involving domestic violence or child abuse.

"It's our role to ask the hard questions. We don't do it to upset the family, and people are always suspicious of police involvement as they don't want to be held accountable.

"I hope the sentencing today gives out a strong message that child abuse will simply not be tolerated," Ms Schwalger said.

Jyniah's parents, Lisa Cassidy and Ike Te Aw a, were pleased with the outcome.

"It's given us a lot of closure as it's been almost a year," said Ms Cassidy.

"I was an outgoing person before this happened. I used to have a job as a sales person but now I can't face people publicly, and I'm replaying things over in my mind all the time."

She warned parents about how to choose their child minder.

"I'd say watch who you give your children to, as you just don't know what will happen to them.

"My emotions are still very raw and every night I cry. We have prayers at night to have good dreams. We want to move on and remember Jyniah as the beautiful baby she was. We'll get over it but we'll never forget it," Ms Cassidy said.

Jyniah's grandmother, Susan Bak er, said she was pleased with the sentence, but added: "Even if Kapea had been given 25 years we still wouldn't be happy.

"We will encourage Lisa to move on as she has two other babies to look after. This has affected the whole family and we would never have got through this without each other.

"We knew nothing of what was going on until Kapea admitted it and made a statement. We all just went into shock and it's been a very emotional time for all of us," Mrs Baker said.

Kapea, a trusted family friend, was caring for Jyniah when she was taken from a Manurewa house to Middlemore Hospital in September last year with a brain injury.

She was transferred to Auckland's Starship Hospital but died the next day.

The baby had been held against a gas heater, swung around by her hair, hung on a clothes line and put in a closed freezer several times.

She died from injuries after being kicked, thrown against a wall, shaken and smothered.

The court heard Kapea had children of her own, aged one to nine, but had not abused or mistreated them.

Justice John Hansen said the summary of facts made "grim reading".

The extended period of cruelty and the nature of the injuries inflicted on Jyniah warranted a minimum parole period of 17 years, he said.

- NZPA