The latest coroner's inquest into the violent death of a baby
in Christchurch presents a good case for abolishing the right
to silence for family members suspected of abuse, a families
lobby group says.
Christchurch Coroner Richard McElrea said at an inquest
yesterday that the death of seven-month old Staranise Waru in
February 2006 was not accidental, but due to an injury
inflicted on her.
Police are still holding the file open but no one has been
charged over the death.
Her parents, Nyree Hopa and Robert Waru, maintain their
innocence, but closed communications with police several
months into the investigation.
Family First said today laws surrounding the right to silence
for families suspected of child abuse should be dumped.
The Staranise case was an example of why that should happen,
as was the case of the death of the Kahui twins in 2006,
where police had a hard time getting answers from family
members and a court case involving the twins' father, Chris
Kahui, ended with an acquittal.
Detective Sergeant Michael Johnson, who headed the Staranise
investigation, said yesterday there were many inconsistencies
in the account given by the parents of events leading up to
her death.
Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said police had
acknowledged the closing of ranks by families in both cases,
and the right to silence and refusal to be interviewed, had
made investigations difficult.
"The Kahui family has been referred to as the 'tight 12'. Yet
we now have three victims of child abuse screaming for
justice and nobody held to account."
Mr McCoskrie said the rights of victims to justice and the
need for offenders to be held accountable outweighed the
right to silence and other privileges families could use to
mask guilt or involvement.
