Infant died after being shaken

By IAN STEWARD - The Press

The coroner has ruled a baby died after being shaken – but three years on nobody has been held to account.

Seven-month-old Staranise Waru died in Christchurch Hospital on February 18, 2006, two days after being admitted suffering brain injuries.

A homicide investigation was started but police have been frustrated in their efforts to charge anyone.

A coronial inquest was told yesterday that Staranise was in the care of her parents, Nyree Hopa and Robert Waru, on the morning she became ill.

A autopsy from pathologist Martin Sage said the infant had died as a result of secondary effects of brain and upper spinal cord injuries.

Her combination of injuries was recognised as "arising from inflicted injury of the 'shaken' or 'shaken-impact' type," he said.

The homicide investigation stalled in October 2006 when Waru and Hopa declined to be interviewed further by police.

The Coroners Court was told yesterday that Staranise had been out-of-sorts and "grizzly" for several days leading up to February 16.

Waru had recently begun living with Hopa and her cousin, Nakita Hopa, at their Linwood flat. On the night of the February 15, Nyree dropped her cousin at work, leaving Waru alone in the house with Staranise.

She returned and nursed the baby throughout the night, feeding her at least twice, including once about 6am.

Hopa went to pick her cousin up from work just after 7am, leaving Staranise sleeping.

Waru testified yesterday that he was in a different room and did not have any contact with the baby during the time Hopa was away.

When she returned, Waru said he got up and prepared to leave for work about 7.40am.

Instead of going to work he went to his parents' house.

Hopa told the court she tried to wake Staranise about 8.40am but her daughter was unresponsive. She picked her up but she was "floppy".

"She wasn't looking at me. Her breathing was faint, slower than it should be."

She called an ambulance.

Staranise died after being taken off life support two days later.

Lawyer Kerryn Beaton asked Waru: "How do you think Staranise died?"

Regional Coroner Richard McElrea intervened saying Waru did not have to answer any question that may incriminate himself.

"I don't really want to answer that question," Waru said.

"Did you see anything that could have caused the injuries she had?"

"No," he said.

"Did you do anything?"

"I don't want to answer that question."

Hopa testified that Waru was "a really good father".

She said they were both first-time parents and were never violent or abusive towards their daughter.

Hopa and Waru live together in Palmerston North.

They have a second child that The Press understands is in the custody of family members.

Beaton asked why Hopa and her cousin had lied to police about leaving Waru alone with Staranise.

The women originally said Nakita Hopa drove the car to work herself and Nyree Hopa had been home the whole time.

They changed their story in a later interview. Nyree Hopa told the court she was confused at the time.

"I didn't do what they said I did. I would never do that to my baby because I love her so much. I don't know what really happened to her."

The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Sergeant Michael Johnson, said there were many inconsistencies in the couple's accounts of events.

Some days before the death, the couple took Staranise to the doctor.

Hopa stayed in the surgery afterwards and when she came out Staranise was crying.

Waru said the baby had bumped her head on the automatic door of a nearby video store.

In a later interview he said it was bumped on a car door, Johnson said.

Johnson told reporters after the inquest that the case remained an open homicide investigation.

He would review the evidence from the inquest and decide if anything new had arisen, he said.

McElrea found that Staranise Orangatai Hinerangi Waru died of cerebral swelling with extensive hypoxic-ischemic (lack of oxygen) injury, upper cervical cord trauma and thin film bilateral and axial subdural haemorrhage.

"I adopt Dr Sage's opinion that this was inflicted physical injury with secondary brain swelling."