Effects of curse 'had to be seen to be believed'

One of the aunts accused of Janet Moses' manslaughter told police it was "mad" to think someone could die of a makutu in this day and age, but she "honestly believed" it.

As evidence drew to a close in the six-week trial in the High Court at Wellington yesterday, the jury heard a recorded interview of Angela Orupe, who spoke to police 10 days after Ms Moses died on October 12, 2007.

She said she believed a makutu, or curse, had killed Ms Moses, a 22-year-old mother of two.

"You honestly had to be there to believe what I am telling you. You had to see it for your own eyes," Orupe said.

"And to think that ... sort of thing could happen in this day and age is mad," she said.

Nine of Ms Moses' aunts and uncles are charged with her manslaughter. The Crown claims that Ms Moses drowned in the makutu cleansing ceremony.

In the interview, Orupe said she thought she had poured water once into Ms Moses' eyes to get rid of the evil but stopped because "I couldn't handle it".

She passed water to some of her sisters and held Ms Moses' head while water was poured on her eyes. She did not see water poured into her nose or mouth.

The Crown evidence has finished and defence lawyers have told Justice Simon France that they will not call evidence. The Crown is expected to make its final address today.

The jury also heard the recorded police interview of another aunt, Tanginoa Apanui. She said Pakeha medicine could not have fixed Ms Moses. "Sorry I have to say that, but ... if we took them to doctors ... they wouldn't have been able to fix her either. It needed to be done the Maori way."

The battle to get the evil out of Ms Moses lasted about 26 hours, Apanui said.

- © Fairfax NZ News