A babysitter who has moved to the Philippines has become a main suspect in a the death four years ago of a Southland toddler.
Karen De Luna is the police's prime suspect in the death of Southland 2-year-old Bea Daleon, who died after her skull was fractured in 2012, Fairfax reported.
Police have told the family their daughter suffered a "non-accidental head injury".
The toddler was rushed to Southland Hospital after suffering a seizure but died days later when her life support was switched off.
Ms De Luna, who babysat the child while here parents worked on nearby dairy farms, has since returned to the Philippines.
She was interviewed by police soon after the death and allowed to leave New Zealand with her husband several months later.
But now Bea's father, Benedict Daleon, has revealed police would most likely charge her in relation to their child's death.
Fairfax reported the former babysitter knew police wanted to talk to her but there had been no contact with her for many months.
They were also not able to force her to return to New Zealand to face charges as the two countries did not have an extradition treaty.
Mr Daleon said they were frustrated by the length of time the police investigation had taken and had since moved to Australia to escape the tragedy.
In a statement this afternoon, the Acting Area Commander for Southland said the inquiry was still very much open.
"A large police team worked on the initial inquiry and staff are still working on it at this time," Inspector Mike Bowman said.
"While we are not going to comment further on specific individuals who may relevant to our inquiries, what we can say is that we remain committed to bringing the person responsible for Bea's death to justice and finding answers for her family.
"Cases such as this are however typically complex and take time to investigate. In this case, it has involved inquiries both in New Zealand and overseas, including seeking relevant medical expertise," Det Insp Bowman said.
Police were working with Interpol and the relevant international authorities as part of the inquiry, he said.
"In the meantime, we remain committed to progressing the investigation and building evidence that will support the case. We will also continue to keep Bea's family informed."
